Resurfaced Memory
by Aria Soul
Summary: Agent Washington thought his fight was over when he "Retired" to join the Blue team. But when an old freind arrives at Blood Gulch, Wash realizes that his past isn't that easy to forget. And maybe he doesn't want to...
1. Prologue: The Box

** Prologue: The Box**

The box was small, not minuscule, but little enough that someone could carry it with them. It wasn't fancy or extravagant; it wasn't decorated with intricate designs or patterned with jewels and beads. It was merely a simple wooden box, but to Agent Washington it was special.

He had found it when he was still in training, hidden under a pile of rubble left over from a bombing in Valhalla. He didn't know who it belonged to, or how it got there, but for some reason Washington had picked it up and began to carry it with him. Over time he had collected some of his few personal possessions inside: his dog tags, a bracelet he had been given when he was younger, and two photographs.

The first one was of him, York, and Maine when they had first been selected for the Freelancer Project. In the photo, York, ever so cool, was leaning up against a wall with a contently amused expression on his face as he watched his two friends. Washington was rolling his eyes while the short boy next to him managed to give him bunny ears before the flash went off, though Wash couldn't help smiling as Maine laughed deviously at his latest prank. On the back was written, "The Three Stooges."- Maine's nickname for them.

The three of them had been together since training; Washington was awkward and shy, never good with people, while York was the "cool popular guy" that kept everyone from killing each other in times of stress. Agent Maine was always happy back then, always laughing and telling bad jokes. Though Washington had thought his antics were childish and sometimes annoying, he almost missed them now.

Maine hadn't been the same after he was shot (Heck, none of them were after joining Project Freelancer). Losing the ability to speak had scarred him much worse than any bullet ever could have. He became distant and angry, eventually running away, until he resurfaced as the Meta. Now that they were both dead, Washington wished he had valued their friendship more. Funny how death and betrayal had a way of putting things into perspective.

The second picture was also a happy memory, of Washington possessively wrapping his arms around a beautiful young woman with stunning blue eyes. She was blushing and holding back a laugh while Wash wore a rare happy-go-lucky, mischievous smile. He remembered how the picture had been taken, when York and Maine had decided to crash Washington's first date with the girl by dropping out of a nearby tree, camera in hand.

Washington missed _her_ more than anyone. She had been the one he trusted, the one he protected, and the one he had lost in the end. Yes, He regretted it, but he knew leaving her hadn't been a mistake. If he had stayed, it would have hurt her more than leaving, and he couldn't put her through that again. Washington had done what seemed right to him, and what could have been was no longer a priority. The past was the past, the girl only a memory now.

That's all the box was: a collection of memories. Some happy, some sorrowful, but all of them just memories of another person. The memories of a shy, awkward, but promising young man called David, who had been destroyed by the Director's sick desire for power.

Washington didn't know why he kept the box. Whether it was for good luck, sentimental value, or simply as a reminder, he didn't know. But he kept it with him, the memories of the man he could vaguely see as himself, a long time ago. And as he sat in his new quarters in the blue base, holding the box in his hands, Washington realized something:

You can run from the past, but it will _always_ find a way to haunt you.

Always.


	2. Chapter one: Familiar Faces

**A/N: hey, so I forgot to put a disclaimer or anything in the prologue… so here's what I had typed up before: **

**This is an Agent Washington Fan-fiction I wrote because I am an obsessed, crazy, and extremely bored out of my mind Fan-girl who has the desire to write this crap down. **

**So here it is.**

**There's not enough Fan-fiction for this guy, and though some of the ones I've read were good, most of them had him either dating South, or being gay (nothing wrong with that, but he just doesn't come off as that way to me.)**

**So, here's my version. You don't like it, You can deal. I'm too busy talking to the wall people to listen to your bitchin'**_** Nancy**_**.**

**And again (and rather unfortunately) Wash belongs to rooster teeth and this is merely the spawn of my demented imagination. **

**Chapter One: Familiar Faces**

"Agent Washington! Agent Washington! _Agent Washington_!" From his quarters in Blue base, Wash sighed as Caboose's frantic yells and running footsteps woke him from his nap. _Just great,_ He thought, _I finally get some peaceful sleep around here and _this guy _has to find another way to screw it up. He probably set something on fire again. _

"Wash! Help!" Caboose yelled from the door way. Washington threw an arm over his face "Agent Washington isn't here right now. Please leave a message after the Beep." He muttered, groggily. "But it's-" "BEEP." Caboose blinked a couple times in confusion, then sighed.

"HI AGENT WASHINGTON, THIS IS CABOOSE!" he spoke loudly into the nonexistent answering machine. "I just thought you might want to know that TUCKER IS _GONE!_" Washington sat straight up, fully awake now. "What? Where is he?" He asked in confusion. "I don't know." Caboose shrugged. "He went out for patrol a couple hours ago and didn't come back."

Washington put on his armor and followed Caboose out into the canyon. "But patrol ended over half an hour ago, why are you just now telling me this?" He asked. Caboose looked down at his feet, almost ashamed. "Well… I thought if we didn't look for him he wouldn't come back. But then I felt bad, because my mom always told me to never think bad things about people because they might happen, and it would be very sad, and I would feel guilty. So I came to get you!" He finished with a smile.

Washington, unable to formulate a response to that statement, turned to look toward the red base… and came face to face with the barrel of Sarge's shotgun. "Okay, which one of you was it?" Sarge asked threateningly. Wash pushed the gun away from his face calmly, "What are you rambling on about now?" he sighed, exasperated. "One of our men was attacked today." Sarge explained "And although Private Donut doesn't remember who it was, I have no doubt that it was inexplicably one of you dirty Blues!"

Sarge aimed an accusing glare at Wash, and he noticed Grif and Simmons giving him the same look from behind the Red sergeant. He rolled his eyes, "Look, I thought we settled this. I never actually killed your pink buddy when I was working with Meta, _so stop blaming me for every damn thing that happens to that idiot!_" Wash told them. "And what makes you think it was one of us anyways?"

"There's no one else in the canyon." Simmons explained matter of fact. "Who else could have done it?" Washington shook his head, "I don't have time for this." He muttered. "I have to find Tucker." "Do you mean the idiot running franticly toward us like a maniac?" Grif asked, pointing to the side, "Because I think I just found him." Sure enough, as they all turned to look, they were met with the sight of Tucker running from the caves.

"Help! Oh my God, It's gonna kill me!" Tucker screamed as he barreled past them. Washington managed to grab his armor as he passed, bringing him back to face the group of soldiers. "Tucker, what is going on?" he asked. Wide eyed and panting, the teal colored private began to explain. "I was on patrol, when I saw someone running. It didn't look like any of us so I followed it into a cave." He told them between gasp of air. "There were blood stains all over the floor, and I heard it ripping something to shreds, a-and this crunching noise. I tried to get out of there but it spotted me and started to attack, so naturally, I got the hell out of there."

Washington nodded, taking in all the information. "Did you see what it looked like?" he asked calmly. Tucker shook his head, "It was wearing a cloak with a hood. I would have tried to get closer, but usually when something's trying to kill you it's best to run like hell while you can and worry about identity later." He retorted. "Do you know-" "Um, Agent Washington?" Caboose interrupted. "Not now, Caboose. Tucker, do you know where this thing is now?" Wash asked. "But Wash-" "I'm pretty sure I lost it a few yards back." Tucker told them, ignoring the regulation blue solider.

"HEY!" Caboose yelled, waving his arms to get their attention. "LISTEN TO ME!" Washington sighed, slightly annoyed. "Yes, Caboose. What do you want?" "Oh, I just don't think it's nice to talk about the hooded person behind its back. It might think you're rude." He whispered pointing to the cliff. The group of soldiers turned to look just as a hooded figure dove behind a rock.

"Oh hey, I think I found it." Grif stated lazily. "Great," Agent Washington muttered as Sarge stepped up. "I'll take care of this." He told them as he began to repeatedly fire his shotgun at the rock the figure was hiding behind. "No! Don't shoot! We don't know what this thing is!" Washington's shouts were drowned out by the rapid gunshots. Wash snatched the gun out of Sarge's hand. "Stop that! Don't shoot until you've identified who you're shooting at!" he reprimanded.

Meanwhile, the rock had begun to crumble from the constant abuse of gunfire, and the hooded figure took its chance to make a run for it, darting out from the behind its only shelter and dashing across the edge of the cliff. "It's getting away! Someone stop it!" Sarge yelled angrily. "Oh! I want to help!" Caboose shouted excitedly, pulling out a sniper rifle and firing a single shot. The figure lost its balance, slid down the side of the cliff, and landed with a thud on the ground below. "Got it!" Caboose declared, triumphantly.

The group of soldiers made their way toward where it had fallen. The body was laying facedown, the hood still on. Agent Washington crouched next to it, reaching down to remove the hood so he could identify the figure, but before he could its head snapped up. Shadows covered its face, its blue eyes glaring at him, making Washington freeze in place. In one fluid motion the figure jumped up and did a back flip over Wash, landing on the ground with ease and taking off running.

"Someone stop that thing!" Tucker shouted as he hid behind Caboose. Sarge stepped in front of it, aiming his shotgun, but the figure easily knocked it out of his reach, punching him in the stomach as it went by. Unfortunately, Grif was unlucky enough to be standing in its way and the figure grabbed his helmet, using him to pivot itself into the air, and then kicking him in the back as it came down. Simmons began rapidly firing at the figure, but it dodged all his bullets, rolling under him and hitting the maroon solider in the back of the knee, causing him to fall to the ground as he shouted many profanities. The figure continued running, ignoring the frantic shouts and moans of pain.

The figure didn't notice Agent Washington sneaking around the side until he jumped out in front of it, blocking its path. It tried to push him out of the way, but Washington was faster. He grabbed the cloak it was wearing, and, surprisingly, it came off in his hands as the figure stumbled and fell. Washington pulled out his hand gun, turning to aim it at the mysterious figure….

…And stared straight into the eyes of a small, blonde haired girl with stunning blue eyes.

Washington nearly dropped his gun, momentarily forgetting where he was. His mouth opened and closed, trying to find words, until he was finally able to breath out an all too familiar name.

"Ariana."

**So there it is! It's kinda short because It's only half of what I had planned, but I thought it'd be more dramatic if I stopped here so I split it. Next chapter will hopefully be longer.**

**Oh, and to my first (and so far only) reviewer, Grand Master Darkstorm: "Thankies, Dearest! Your Review is much appreciated! I hope you continue to read!"**

** Aria Soul, over and out, BlueTards!**


	3. Chapter Two: Reunion

**A/N: I'm Back, Losers! Okay so if anyone is confused, Ariana is my OC. She's not a freelancer or anyone from Red vs. Blue.**

** Disclaimer was in the first chapter.**

** Oh, and the long strings of words in italics are Washington's memories. (And I know it says "the girl" but she's actually 19 or 20 at this point)**

___**Chapter Two: Reunion**_

Washington remembered.

_He wrapped his arms around the small girl as she tangled her hands in his hair. He kissed her deeply, pulling her on top of him and onto his bed. Washington smiled into kiss, moving his hands up the back of her short dress. The girl gasped as Wash grazed his teeth on her lips, and she kissed him back even more passionately. They broke apart for a moment, both breathing heavily and blushing. He smiled slightly, leaning forward to claim her lips again, but the girl pulled away, climbing off him and sitting on the side of the bed._

_ Washington's smile faded, replaced with a look of concern as he propped himself up on his elbows. "What's wrong?" he asked._

_ The girl turned away from him, her blonde hair covering her face. She sighed heavily, "My boss will kill me if he finds out I'm here." Wash nodded grimly; he knew her boss was powerful, he had control over her, and that she was terrified of him. He moved next to her, draping an arm over her shoulders. "Don't worry about your boss." He told her, "I'll take care of it."_

_ She shook her head, "Y-you don't know what he's capable of." Washington cupped her face in his hands, but she stared at the floor. "Ariana, look at me." He said. The girl slowly lifted her eyes to meet his. "I swear if he so much as looks at you the wrong way, I will slit his throat." Wash stated simply. "So don't worry."_

_ Ariana laughed lightly, resting her head on his bare chest. Washington wrapped his arms around her, pulling the tiny girl into him._

_ "David?" Wash paused, taken aback. He wasn't used to her using his real name. "Yeah?" he answered after he recovered._

"_Promise you won't leave." Ariana requested softly. He sighed heavily; he knew with his job it would be too hard. "Ari, you know I can't-" "Please?" Ariana looked up at him, her blue eyes pleading. God, she looked so small… so breakable. Washington kissed her forehead._

"_I promise."_

Washington remembered. He remembered everything about her. He wished he didn't.

Agent Washington put away his gun, turning away from the girl. "She's harmless guys." He told the other soldiers. "Let her go." He began to walk away as the reds and blues watched him in stunned silence. "Wait!" Ariana scrambled up ran after him, grabbing his arm. "How did you know my name?" she asked. Washington jerked away his arm. "I don't. Now get out of here before I change my mind and shoot you." He answered curtly as he continued walking.

Ariana darted out in front of the former freelancer, blocking his path. "I heard you, don't lie." She told him, undaunted. "Now, who the hell are you? How the hell do you know me? And Why the hell are you trying to pretend you don't?" she asked. Washington tried to step past her, but she moved in front of him again. "Move it, midget." He snarled.

"No." The barely five foot tall girl crossed her arms defiantly. "Now that I think about it, your voice sounds familiar…" She trailed off for a moment, thinking. "Take off your helmet." Washington stared down at the girl, incredulously. "That's not going to happen." He replied coldly. Ariana shrugged, "Well, then. I suppose someone could always, you know, shoot it off. And then continue to do the same thing for your friends here." Ariana countered with a smirk, stepping closer so that she was only a few inches away from him.

Washington knew she was bluffing, well, probably bluffing, but the frightened look that Tucker was giving him told him that he'd better listen to the kid. _I'm going to regret this. _Wash thought bitterly as he began to undo the clasp. He pulled the helmet off his head, letting his dark hair fall into his eyes….

Instantly causing Ariana to shriek and stumble back, "A-agent Washington." She managed to stutter out. Wash crossed his arms, trying to ignore her outburst. "What the hell are you doing here Ariana?" He asked her. The girl mentally kicked her self and straightened up, her shock replaced with anger. "I should be asking you the same thing. Last I heard, you were dead." She spat.

"Sorry to get your hopes up." Washington's expression was cold, emotionless, as he surveyed the girl who was once his closest friend. Ariana hadn't changed much, though her hair seemed longer, which didn't help her childlike demeanor. She was wearing her usual tank top, shorts, and combat boots. He noted with some curiosity that she still had the heart shaped hair clip he'd given her on her 20th birthday, and that, even though she was covered in dirt from their skirmish, he could still catch the faint scent of strawberries coming from her. _She always smells like f***ing strawberries. _He thought with amusement.

During this little spat between the two ex-Well, whatever they were, the rest of the soldiers had stood by and watched with anticipation- and mostly confusion- until finally Tucker spoke up. "So…. You guys know each other?" he enquired. Ariana looked over at him in surprise, like she had forgotten the others were there. She exchanged glances with the former freelancer next to her before they both replied with a muttered; "Something along those lines." which instantly resulted in both of them glaring at each other for saying the same thing at the same time.

"We… worked together in Project Freelancer." Washington explained. "Oh, so she's a freelancer?" Simmons asked, "Why isn't she wearing any armor?" "I'm not a freelancer." Ariana told them, a little too sharp. "I'm an assassin; we're not required to wear armor." "Then how…?" "My boss had connections with the director. I was a relatively new but promising assassin, so he sent me to work and train with the Freelancers, hoping I could better my…. Education." She finished with a sly smile.

"So… you're an assassin…" Tucker began, "You wouldn't happen to be here on a job would you?" He asked, backing away for good measure. Ariana held back a laugh, shaking her head. "Don't worry, I'm here on vacation." Tucker let out a sigh of relief. "But wait. Why did you throw a knife at my head?" Ariana shrugged sheepishly, "Eh, sorry about that. That's sort of a habit. Though I'll admit, I've been a bit on edge since that chick in the pink armor snuck up on me while I was stealing-I mean_ borrowing- _from the their food storage."

The Reds cast a sheepish, almost guilty look at Washington, who answered with a look that said, "_Told you." _ "Sorry." He heard one of them whisper. "Wait, what about those creepy ripping and crunching noises, Tucker told us about. And the blood on the cave floor?" Grif asked. Ariana fished around in her pocket, before she pulled out what looked like a bag of chips and tossed them at the orange solider. "Not the most nutritious meal, but it's still food." She shrugged. "As for the blood," She lifted the hem of her tank top a couple inches, revealing several red marks on her back. "Let's just say I got into a bit of a… misunderstanding."

The other soldiers nodded. "I guess that makes sense." Sarge mumbled, half to himself. Ariana smiled and did a tiny bow, "Right. So, I'm really sorry for scaring you, but I have to go now." She apologized, as she attempted to walk off, but Washington stopped her. "Hold on a second, Ariana. What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice incisive. The small girl fidgeted with the edge of her top, but didn't look away from the former freelancer. "I told you, Wash. I'm on vacation." "Right…" Washington narrowed his eyes, "A vacation where you live in a cave and have to steal food. It sounds _absolutely wonderful_." Ariana laughed nervously, "What can I say? Hotel prices are getting pretty high these days."

Washington crossed his arms. "Cut the crap, Ari. What's going on? Are you in trouble?" Ariana glared back at him, growing impatient. "I'm fine Wash;_ you're_ the dead man here." She retorted. "Besides, why should you give a damn about me?" the girl looked down at the ground, trying to hide her anger. "It's not like you've been all that interested in my life the past five years, anyways." Washington drew back, her words cutting through him like a knife.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy the rest of my vacation from the comfort of my… cave." She quipped, brushing past him. Washington stood there for a moment, still somewhat stunned by her sudden outburst. The others remained abnormally quiet, watching to see how things between the two ex-partners would unfold. "Goddammit." Wash muttered finally, angrily jerking his helmet back on and running after her.

"Hey Caboose, are you think what I'm thinking?" Tucker asked. Caboose gasped, "You're thinking about getting a puppy, too? That's great! Now all I have to do is convince Agent Washington!" Tucker glanced over at his team mate in confusion. "What? No! I mean about Wash and that superhot assassin chick." "Oh." Caboose sighed. "What about them?" "Well, don't you think they might have a history?" Caboose laughed. "Oh Tucker, you're silly. Why would Agent Washington have a history class with the scary, pretty girl? He is not in middle school!" Tucker shook his head. "You know what man? Never mind. Just, stop talking. I'm gonna follow them." "Okay."

"Hey, wait!" Wash yelled as he caught up to Ariana. She didn't answer, but kept walking until Washington grabbed her arm. "Let go!" She snapped, not looking at him. "Not until you tell me what's going on." Wash demanded. "It's none of your concern." Ariana replied curtly, jerking away her arm and continuing on. Washington sighed, "I hoped I wouldn't have to do this, Ari, but you leave me no choice."

Ariana whipped around, emitting a small shriek of protest as Agent Washington's hand closed around the back of her shirt and he lifted her into the air. "P-put me down!" she stuttered, lashing out and trying squirm out of his grasp. Washington lifted her higher, "Only after you explain yourself. For now, this amuses me." She punched the air, trying to hit him to no avail.

By the time the other soldiers approached, Ariana had already tired herself out and was shooting daggers through Washington's soul with her eyes. Unaware that his soul was in danger of the girl's imaginary weaponry, Wash smirked, "You done?" he asked. "Because, you know, I can always wait for you to throw another fit and act like a child, if you want." Ariana kicked out. "You're a real bastard, Wash." She spat, attempting to rip away from his grip again. She continued this little charade, letting out sharp shrieks of fury every now and then.

"Okay! You win!" She proclaimed, throwing up her arms in defeat. "I ran away, alright?" Washington promptly dropped Ariana, ignoring her complaints as she hit the ground. "What did you do?" he asked as calmly as he could possibly manage. Ariana refused to meet his eyes as she dusted the dirt off her clothes. "Well… let's just say I got into a bit of a…. _disagreement_ with my boss. A few shots were fired, a couple guys went down, and the next thing I know I'm in my apartment trying to pack up my few possessions before the police show up." Ariana finished with a nervous smile and a small shrug. "You know, same old, same old."

The former freelancer resisted the urge to grab the small girl by her shoulders and shake her until she was nauseous, "_What the hell were you thinking?_" he yelled. Ariana didn't flinch, just crossed her arms and stared back. "I was thinking that I had to get out of that hell-hole before McAlister killed me. _Or worse_." "Wait, I'm confused. Who's this McAlister guy?" Simmons interjected. Ariana turned away, her expression filled with anger. "No one. Just my manipulative, sick, creep of a boss." She muttered, bitterly.

Ariana shook her head, her smile returning, though it seemed forced. "Anyways, I'm sorta being hunted down by McAlister's top assassins so, I decided to drop off the radar for a while. Hang out somewhere no one will suspect, you know?" Washington crossed his arms. "Yeah I understand. Now get out." He ordered bluntly. Ariana looked up in shock. "Wha-What do you mean?"

"If McAlister finds you, he'll find us. And with my luck he'll either kill us all, or recognize me and turn me in. And I am _not_ going back to jail! That's the whole reason I faked my death and followed these idiots to this stupid canyon in the first place. I'm not risking it." He sighed, trying not to make eye contact with the girl "Sorry Ariana, but you're on your own."

Ariana nodded grimly. "I understand, I mean, it's not like you owe me any favors. I never took a bullet for you or anything." Her bitter sarcasm stung Agent Washington. The phrase "salt in an open wound" paled in comparison as the girl turned sharply on her heel to walk away. "Don't worry; I'll pack my bags. It seems I've bothered you enough for today, _Agent Washington_."

Washington opened his mouth to add a sharp retort, but his eyes traveled down to the bruises on her arms and legs. _Did McAlister do that?_ He wondered, a feeling of guilt creeping up. "Hey, Ari, can't you stay with family or something?" He asked, trying not to sound as concerned as he really was. The girl stopped, throwing a glare at him from over her shoulder. "No Wash, You should know that. You were there when they found my parents' bodies, remember?"

She turned away, not wanting him to see the doubt crossing her features. "Honestly, I don't have anywhere to go. No friends, no family, nothing." She kicked a rock, spitefully. "But it doesn't matter; I can take care of myself." Ariana cast one more half-hearted smile at Wash, before walking off. "See you around, Dead man." She said in farewell.

Washington felt a strange, dull ache in his chest as she walked away.

"Hey Wash, aren't you going to help her?" Tucker asked quietly. Washington glanced over at the teal private almost absentmindedly. "What do you mean?" Tucker shrugged. "Well you two seem like you were friends, I just thought-" "We're not friends, and I'm not helping her." "But Wash she's in danger!" Tucker pleaded "We can't let a gorgeous lady like her live in caves!" "What do you expect _me _to do? Slay a frickin dragon for her?"

Tucker shrugged "I don't F**king know, man. We could at least find her somewhere better to stay." Washington scrutinized the soldier next to him. "Tucker, just a few minutes ago she tried to kill you. Why do you _really_ want to help her?" he asked. He thought heard a grin creep into Tucker's tone. "Aw, come on Wash. You know how it goes. The hero rescues the damsel in distress and then the chick is all like: 'oh my gosh! Thank you for saving me! How can I ever repay you?' and then the hero says: 'Well how about you come over to my place and we can-'"

"Okay! Stop right there! I'm sorry I asked." Wash shouted, his hand reaching up to helmet as if he were trying to block the image out of his head. Tucker laughed, "Come on Wash, you know you want to. Bow-chicka-bow-wow!" He teased. The former freelancer lifted his face slightly, sending out a death glare from underneath his helmet. "_You sicken me._" He growled.

"Tucker has a point though. We can't just kick the poor girl out into the street." Sarge said thoughtfully. "Maybe we could find somewhere for her to stay till she gets her feet on the ground." He looked at his Red subordinates. Grif shrugged, Simmons shuffled his feet, "Um sir, if you're referring to our families, I would just like you to know that I'm no longer speaking to my father, and Grif's mom is still working in the circus." He explained. Tucker shook his head when everyone turned to him. "Sorry guys. My family is F**ked up as it is." "Maybe she could stay with Donut's parents. I'm sure they would like another daughter." Grif suggested.

"Hey! I've got an idea!" Caboose shouted. Everyone turned to him reluctantly. "Washington's lady friend could just stay with us! Here at blue base!" He declared. Washington sighed. "Caboose did you miss the part where I explained exactly _why_ she cannot stay here?" he asked. The blue soldier smiled like he was in on a joke that no one else knew about. "Yes. But what if we disguised her as a blue soldier! Or maybe we could hide her! That way the bad guys would not suspect anything if they came here. Just like the Canadians did when Hitler came after them."

Washington knew Caboose was confused on… well a lot of things, but he actually had a point. "That might just work." Washington agreed. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Tucker asked pushing him in the direction of the caves, excitedly. "Go rescue your damsel, Prince Washington!" "Promise you'll never call me that again, and I'll try." He muttered as he began walking. "By the way, if you here gunshots…. Run." The former freelancer advised.

Moments later as he walked into the caves, Washington watched as Ariana struggled with tying a bandage around a small gash on her arm. She had part of the gauze in her teeth, trying to find a way to wrap it around the wound with only one hand. The task must have been taking her full attention, because she didn't seem to notice when Washington crouched down next to her. The small girl jumped a little as the soldier's hands grazed over her own, taking the strip of fabric and removing it from her grasp. They were both silent as he wound it around her arm and tied it gently.

"What happened?" Wash asked softly, dropping his hands. Ariana hesitated, refusing to look at him before pulling her knees to her chest. "McAlister has taken care of me since I was a teenager. Given me somewhere to stay and the opportunity to work with some of the military's best operatives. I'm in debt to him, but-" she sighed. "I did the numbers. With the money I make as an Assassin along with some of my side jobs I paid him off two years ago. He was just... using me. So, I left." She shrugged. "Granted, it did involve some gunfire, but it got the point across."

Ariana attempted to laugh, but to Wash it sounded more like a choked cry. He stood up and crossed his arms, "Do you want to stay with us?" He asked after a moment. Ariana looked up in confusion. "I thought you said-" "Yeah, well I changed my mind." The former freelancer had suddenly become much more interested in the cave walls. "Look, it's only until I can find somewhere else for you to stay, but it's better than living in a cave, and a lot safer for all of us."

Ariana opened her mouth, trying to say that she was fine on her own, but she stopped. Washington could see why, her eyes flashed in fear and doubt as she realized what trouble she was in at the moment. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Thank you." The tiny girl whispered, reaching out and wrapping her thin arms around the armored soldier.

Washington stiffened, glad that his helmet hid the blush creeping over his face. He pulled away slowly, distancing himself from the girl. "Don't thank me." He told her gruffly, turning away. "I'm not helping you because we're friends." Ariana tilted her head, her eyes staring through him, just like they always had. "Then why are you?" she asked softly. Washington was silent as his gaze moved over the scar right bellow Ariana's collar bone, a familiar sense of regret and something else he didn't want to register seizing him as he began to walk away.

"Because, we were….. Once…."

**Oh Thank God! It's finally done!**

** I do not like how this chapter turned out. I had so many ideas for this scene and they all sorta jumbled together. At least I fit in Tucker's catch-phrase.**

** But I sorta like the flash back in the beginning. Even though I can't write make out scenes worth crap. -.-"**

** Also, I am SO SORRY that this is so late! I can make so many excuses about writers block, and the oral surgery that had me knocked out for about a week, and school starting, but still this took **_**Way Too Freakin Long**_**!**

** Anyways, its past midnight and I have to get up before noon tomorrow so Imma go to sleep! Bye!**


	4. Chapter Three: Humiliation Is

**A/N: HEY GUESS WHAT! I'M NOT DEAD! JUST SINGLE! **

**So…. Yeah…. That was an awkward few weeks…. **

**Anyways, I warned you this would be a long wait (actually I didn't start writing this chapter until three weeks AFTER I published Ch.2. Don't kill me…) But I'm inspired again so….**

**TA-DA! Be Happy Dammit. **

_**Chapter Three: **_

"_**Humiliation is best served with Wine and Cheese"**_

Agent Washington sighed as the clanging of pots and pans woke him from his slumber. "What is it _now_?" he muttered as he stood up and walked toward the kitchen. Once there, he was greeted with the terrifying sight of Caboose mixing what looked like milk and flour in a bowl while Ariana fidgeted with the oven settings. "Um… what do you think you're doing?" Washington asked.

Caboose smiled up at him, his face spattered with flour. "My new best friend and I are making muffins!" he declared, waving the mixing spoon around as an example. Wash turned to Ariana, worry crossing his features. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked her. She tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

The former freelancer folded his arms across his chest, "I mean you can't cook. At all. Remember the cake from hell you made for Christmas?" Ariana laughed sheepishly, her face reddening "That wasn't my fault. You distracted me and made me forget." She quipped "Besides, my cutlery skills have improved in the past few years. And I have Caboose to help me!"

Washington frowned, shaking his head at how many mistakes there were in her statement. Part of him wondered if he should stay and help them, but that meant he'd have to spend at least half an hour alone in the same room with a mentally challenged solider and his Ex- "Screw it. I'm gonna go shower. Try not to burn anything." He told them, turning on his heel and walking out, as Ariana gave him a mock salute. "Will do!" she chimed, returning to her task of scavenging the cabinets for more chocolate chips.

Agent Washington studied his reflection in the mirror, his mind wandering. His dark, slightly gray streaked hair fell in his face, slicked down by the water from the shower. His bright, storm-gray eyes had dark circles under them, and his pale scar covered face had stubble scattered across it. He wasn't that old, only thirty-two, but his eyes seemed much older, haunted by the horrible things he'd seen in the past few years.

He looked like a complete and total wreck. But he'd seen worse days.

Amidst his jumbled thoughts, his mind seemed to focus on one thing: Ariana. She'd been staying with them for over a week now, and appeared to be fitting in well with the other soldiers…. Except for Washington himself. They had avoided each other most of the time, rarely talking unless completely necessary. That was fine with him though. He didn't want to talk to her. At least, not yet anyways.

…..Okay, yeah, he had missed her. A lot. More than he'd ever imagined. Even though he knew that leaving her had been the best option. But it had been almost _six years_, for God's sake! He'd thought he would have gotten over her by now. And he probably would have if he had _never _seen her _ever again_, just like he had planned. But apparently, the cruel universe he inhabited had other things in mind.

Sometimes, he swore the world hated him.

But what was his problem? Ariana didn't seem to be holding too much of a grudge. At first she had seemed pretty mad about him leaving her, but she soon either got over it, or got tired of yelling at him for it. She even seemed kinda happy as of late. So why couldn't he look at her without remembering? He couldn't even think about her without the memories of their last encounter flooding back.

_The small girl looked up at him, her fearful eyes spilling over with tears that mixed with the pooling blood on the floor. "….David?...Why-"_

Washington punched the concrete wall, trying to get the thoughts of that night out of his head. There was a knock on the door, startling him. "Hey Wash, you alright in there?" Ariana called. "I'm fine." He tossed back, once he had evened out his breathing. "Oh. Okay. Well, the muffins are finished if you want some." She told him lightly after a pause. Washington listened until he heard her footsteps get further away and then disappear. He turned on the cold water in the sink and splashed some on his face, trying to clear his mind, before walking to the kitchen.

Caboose greeted him with a wild wave and a childish grin. "Don't worry Mr. Washington! Nothing caught on fire this time!" he declared. Next to the boy, Tucker waved groggily and munched on a slightly charred muffin. "Motff thfaf bamf." He said around a mouthful of crisp chocolaty goodness, which Washington took to mean: 'Not half bad.' "Why don't you try one?" a small voice from behind him suggested. Wash turned around just as Ariana shoved a muffin into his face. He leaned back a little, finding he was trapped between the girl and the table.

"Um… No thanks. I'm not really hungry." He muttered. Ariana's full lips went from a gentle smile to an indignant pout. "Eat the muffin." She demanded, steeping closer to the much larger man. Washington crossed his arms, "I don't want to eat the muffin." She narrowed her eyes. "I baked three dozen muffins. Only half of them came out burned beyond recognition. This is an accomplishment for me. Appreciate it." She growled.

Tucker and Caboose glanced back and forth between the two. This wasn't unusual; Washington and Ariana were often bickering, normally over something frivolous or something eccentric that the blonde assassin had done that had left the former Agent annoyed or embarrassed. However, the two simulation troopers had found this little routine to be quite amusing. This situation was no exception, and they started snickering as Washington glared defiantly at Ariana.

"I said I'm not hungry. Why should I?" Ariana leaned in closer, her voice becoming soft and alluring. "Because I know where you sleep. I know where you keep the knives. And I know seventy-two ways to kill you with one. NOW EAT THE GOD DAMN MUFFIN!" Washington, growing tired of these charades, gave in and snatched the muffin out of her hand, sitting down at the table and ignoring Tucker's joking.

Satisfied, Ariana plopped down next to him and began to happily chew on a muffin, or two. Wash wondered how she could eat so much and still be as small as she was. She smiled as she finished off a fourth muffin, and then stood up. "You know, I've been thinking, it's so boring around here. We should do something fun!" Wash sighed, Ariana couldn't stand sitting around doing nothing all day. She always had to be moving, either training or just dancing around in circles to her own imaginary music. Washington actually preferred the quiet environment rather than the stress of being a freelancer, but Ariana was a tad bit more ADD.

"So, why don't we have a tournament?" She declared. "I had to use one of those before. It didn't stop the bleeding very fast." Caboose said. "No Michael, A _tournament_, not a tourniquet." The girl explained patiently. "I was thinking we could try hand to hand combat. No armor. No weapons. One on one, you know?" she leaned back in her chair. "I've already invited the Reds to join us for the fun."

"In other words they're on their way here as we speak, and there's no way for us to get out of this." Washington muttered. "I believe that is correct. If fact, I think I can hear Polkas y Huapangos playing already." Ariana said cheerfully. "Yay! Admiral Butter Crust is coming to play with me!" Caboose shouted, running outside to greet them. Tucker trailed after him, still not fully awake. "I'm just gonna make sure he doesn't blow up the warthog."

Ariana began to walk after them, casting a look over her shoulder at Wash. "Are you coming or not?" she asked. Washington sighed. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not really."

The tournament started out rather eventfully. Caboose surprised the Reds with his super strength by tackling Donut to the ground in his excitement. The 'light-ish red' Private refused to participate in anymore rough housing from then on, so as not to risk his complexion. Grif had Simmons pinned within moments, sitting on top of the red faced man as he demanded Oreos as a reward. Washington sat under a tree and watched, uninterested, as he doodled in a sketch pad. Nobody really paid him much notice as Ariana stepped up.

"Alright my turn." She announced. Tucker was the first to face her. "Don't worry sweet cheeks. I'll take it easy on you-" He was interrupted as Ariana slammed her foot into his stomach, and he crumbled to the ground. Ariana put one foot on his chest, smirking in her victory. "Don't taunt me unless you actually stand a chance." She chided.

She turned to the others, a challenge in her eyes. "So, who's next?" she asked innocently. Grif stood up. "There is no way some twelve year old little kid is going to take me down." He muttered. Ariana's eyes flashed with indigence at the comment. "For your information I am twenty seven years of age!" She declared, knocking him over easily and watching with amusement as the orange solider tried to get up, looking strangely like a turtle on its back. "And this 'little kid' just kicked your ass."

"That's not fair! You tripped me!" Grif yelled. Ariana helped him up. "The rules say that if the opponent is on the ground for more than five seconds they lose. Hence forth, you lose and I win." She explained. "What rules? Who the hell came with that crap?" Ariana glared at him. "I did. Now shut up and go sit with the rest of the losers." One by one the reds and blues were defeated by the small, skilled girl, as she claimed her title as supreme fighter over all of them.

"Come on Wash!" She taunted, "I'm getting bored over here. You haven't even tried to fight anyone yet." The former freelancer didn't look up. "I don't want to embarrass you." He said nonchalantly. "Yeah right! You'll be the one who's embarrassed once we're through." She called back, trying to hide her blushing. Tucker tried to encourage him. "Come on man, we all got beat up. I think it's your turn." Washington sighed and stood up, snapping the sketchbook closed and tossing it aside. "Fine. But I still find this whole thing extremely pointless."

Ariana readied her fighting stance as Agent Washington shuffled into the clearing, arms crossed. "Okay, start on three." Simmons told them. "One, Two, Th-" Ariana launched herself at the man… and fell flat on her face as he stepped to the side. She picked herself up, blushing wildly, "Okay, okay very funny." She laughed breathlessly. "That was just a trial." She ran at him again, this time sliding under him at the last minute, trying to take out his legs. Washington easily jumped over her, doing a flip for style points and landing neatly in front of her.

"Are you finished yet?" he asked, looking over his shoulder, sounding almost bored. Ariana dusted herself off, eyes narrowed with determination. "Like hell I am!" she threw back. The petite girl darted behind him, trying to catch him off guard, but Washington was faster, spinning around and kicking her legs out from underneath her. "God Dammit!" Ariana shrieked, jumping up and trying wildly to land a hit on her opponent. Washington held her at arm's length, one hand on her fore head, making it impossible for her to reach around and punch him, though she kept franticly attempting to.

"Okay kid, come on. You're just embarrassing yourself now." Washington sighed, trying not to show his amusement at the pathetic, yet strangely adorable scene. Ariana now appeared to be uselessly flailing her arms in his general direction, earning her several snickers from both the red and blue teams. "Shut Up!" She yelled, mostly at Washington. Growing tired of the whole fiasco, Wash flicked his wrist, sending Ariana tumbling to the ground. He placed a firm hand on top of her head, counted to five, and walked off.

Ariana sat, shocked and furious, in the grass, arms crossed and pouting like a five year old. "Six years…" she muttered, "Six years of training and missions and I still can't beat him." Someone waved a hand in front of her face, and she looked up to see Donut smiling innocently at her. "That was pretty cool, you beating the guys." He complimented. "I like your fashion choices too, much better than that scratchy armor."

Ariana looked down at her simple off the shoulder top, skirt, and black tights. "Um, thank you..?" she said shyly. "And uh, by the way, I'm sorry I knocked you out before. And that I thought you were a girl." Donut laughed and helped her up. "That's okay, it's a common mistake. Why don't you come over to Red base and join me for daily wine and cheese hour later, and we'll call it even?" Ariana smiled. It appeared she had made a new friend.

Ariana lay on top of Donut's canopy bed, nibbling on some fondue, having spent the afternoon gossiping and discussing musical preferences with Donut. "So, do you like it here?" Donut asked, pouring a glass of wine. She nodded, taking a sip. "It's not too bad. Everyone's pretty nice to me." She replied. "What do you think of the guys?" he inquired. Ariana shrugged. "Tucker's kind of a perv, but I'm used to that. Sarge seems a bit delusional at times, though he seems determined in whatever he's doing, so that's good. Caboose is such a sweet kid. And I think Grif and Simmons just need to stop hiding their feelings and hook up already." Donut laughed, "It's good to know someone agrees with me!"

"You know Donut, you're pretty cool yourself." Ariana smiled, lounging on the bed and admiring the light-ish red room decorated with stuffed animals around her. Donut blushed, "Thanks dearest! It's nice to have a girl with some actual taste to talk to around here. But you know you forgot to mention someone." He pointed out, a mischievous grin creeping onto his face. "Agent Washington."

"Oh." Ariana looked as if she had swallowed a rather bitter gulp of wine, "Wash is… complicated." "Ooh, I sense drama!" he chimed. The small girl shook her head. "It's not like that. It's just- the way we left things six years ago… it wasn't exactly all sunshine and lollipops." Donut frowned, "Bad falling out?" She grimaced, "Something along those lines."

"It seems as if you've known each other for quite some time." Donut mussed, twirling his glass. She sighed, rolling onto her back and starring at the ceiling, searching for words. "Freelancer wasn't the first place we met." She said finally. Donut perked up. "Oh really?" he asked "Actually, We've known each other since we were kids." Donut nodded in apprehension, waiting for her to go on. Ariana sighed, a slight accent entering her voice as she explained.

"My parents died when I was six. They, along with most of my other relatives, were killed in a rebel bombing at our home in Scotland. I was at Pre-school." She told him sadly. "Some friends found me and sent me to America to be with my great-aunt, but I learned when I arrived that she had gotten ill and died a few weeks before. So, I was stuffed into an orphanage in the middle of nowhere in some strange country with people who always made fun of my bloody accent." Donut gasped in shock, "That's terrible! I'm so sorry." "It's okay, it was a long time ago, and I grew out of the accent after a while." She consoled him.

"But those first few days were complete hell. I was so distraught, I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. I just stared at the ground and tried not to cry for the most part." She shook her head, reliving how lost she felt. "Then one day I was sitting on the steps, and I couldn't figure out how to tie my stupid shoes, when I just broke down and started bawling. The next thing I know, there's an eleven year old boy kneeling beside me, asking me what's wrong. Of course, being so young and vulnerable, I did the only thing I knew to do when a strange person comes up to me and asks me a question. I kicked him in the shin."

Donut snickered and Ariana smiled fondly at the memory.

_The boy just smiled sadly, sitting back on his heels. Ariana glanced at him fearfully, stumbling back. "Sorry, did I scare you?" he asked softly. She was silent. "Why were you crying?" the little girl pointed at her untied laces, and he nodded in understanding. "You don't have anyone to tie them for you?" she shook her head. _

_The boy reached over and gently tied them into tight bows. "Is that better?" he asked, still a bit weary. Ariana sniffed a couple times and wiped her face, but nodded. The boy held out his hand to help her up, and she took it. "Thank you." She told him in a small voice. It was the first time she had spoken in days. The boy smiled. "No problem. The name's David, by the way." He declared. "I-I'm Ariana." She replied. He reached down to pat her head. "Nice to meet you, kiddo."_

"As it turns out, He was from a rather well off family, but also a bit of a black sheep. I'm afraid his father wasn't often sober, though he often used his _upstanding status_ as an excuse to call his only son a failure. His mother didn't help much; just sort of let his dad push them around." She shook her head in distaste. "Wash would normally hang out around the orphanage whenever he got tired of his father's rambling. He had a few friends there, and felt a bit more relaxed without the pressure to always act so proper."

Ariana smiled, "Even though I was a few years younger than him, he always made time for me. He never once told me he was too busy or called me annoying. He taught me everything I knew. In fact, he practically raised me." Her smile wavered a bit. "But as soon as he turned seventeen, he joined the UNSC and was deported." She explained, "Then a few years later, the orphanage went bankrupt, and I was just… lost. It was around that time that I met McAlister. He told me if I worked for him I would get to work joint missions with the UNSC, and I would also have food and shelter."

She sighed, "It sounded too good to be true, I already knew how to shoot a gun, (due to Wash being a bit paranoid when there was a break out of gang shooting in our town) and I was pretty good at what I did. Then I was sent to train at Freelancer when I was nineteen, and we met up again." Ariana grinned at Donut. "And the rest… is history."

Donut clapped, "That was such a touching story!" he squealed, "It-It's sort of hard to believe that Agent Washington could be such a kind person to you." Ariana frowned, the happy memory gone. "Yeah, Project Freelancer… changed him." She mused softly, her eyes growing distant and a little sad. Donut noticed his companion's dampened attitude, and jumped up next to her.

"Come on Ariana, don't get all upset. I know something that might cheer you up!" he told her, grabbing her hand and dragging her up. "What is it?" Ariana giggled lightly. Donut smiled, maliciously. "First, we need to get you out of those clothes."

Washington sighed as he walked toward Red Base. He found it pointless and irrational to come check up on Ariana, considering she was a trained assassin and among friends, but he might have been a little worried all the same. She had been gone for several hours after all. Besides, it would be night time soon, and Caboose would want a bed time story, and Agent Washington was _not_ going to go through with that again.

Sarge scowled as the former freelancer walked into Red Base. "What do you want, blue?" he growled. Wash kept his gaze even. "Came to check on Ariana. You seen her lately?" He asked gruffly. "She's in Donut's room; don't know what they're doing, though. The door's locked." Grif answered from his place on the couch, not looking up from his playboy magazine.

"Oh, thanks. Wait what-?" Wash did a double take. "She's alone with Donut… in his bed room… with the door locked?" Grif shrugged, "Yep. Second door to the left. Hey if you're going in there tell them to keep it down. Their giggling is annoying." Wash nodded and continued down the hall, at a slightly faster pace.

Simmons glanced over, a bit inquisitive. "He looks kinda worried. Do you think he thinks that Ariana and Donut are-" Grif shook his head. "It's kinda obvious, besides he'll find out eventually." Simmons frowned. "But should we tell him that Donut is G-" "Forget it Simmons. Don't be such a kiss-ass." "_Fine._"

A sense of dread came over Washington as he approached the door. "Donut, cut it out! That tickles!" he heard a feminine voice yell from inside. He knocked on the door curtly. "Hey Ariana, what are you doing?" He asked timidly. He heard a muffled squeal and Donut call out: "Just a minute Agent Washington, we're not finished!"

"Whoa, what the hell is going o-" suddenly the door swung open and Wash felt something very warm and soft being pushed into him. He looked down in surprise at the small girl in front of him, and burst out laughing. "What in God's name are you wearing?" Ariana blushed, tugging at the frilly pink monstrosity of a dress Donut had forced her to dress up in.

"Shut up!" She yelled. She heard a giggle from behind her, turning to see Donut leaning in the door way. "Aw, doesn't she look just fabulous, Wash?" The former freelancer was unable to answer this, as he was trying to suppress his snickering. "I think we should try on the ballerina dress next." Donut suggested. "Donut!" Ariana screamed in fury, launching herself at him.

Donut dodged her and darted back in his room, slamming and locking the door behind him. Ariana banged on the door. "DONUT! GIVE ME BACK MY CLOTHES!" she yelled. She heard Donut laughing from the other side. "Sorry, I can't do that. You can keep the dress though!" he replied. Ariana's face was getting redder by the second, and Wash was kind of afraid that she might knock down the door and go on a massacre.

He tried to calm himself down, but there was still a subtle smirk on his lips as he placed a hand on Ariana's shoulder. "Let it go kid. You're stuck in that dress until we get back to base." He told her. Ariana crossed her arms, looking more like a pouting kid. "Fine. I was ready to leave anyways." She muttered, lifting the dress and trying to walk away with what little dignity she had left.

"You know that dress isn't so bad on you." Wash said finally as they walked back to blue base. Ariana looked down skeptically. The dress was about knee length and light pink with black lace trim. It had a corset bodice that was laced up with black ribbon and fit snuggly around her waist. To finish it off, she still had on her clunky combat boots. "I guess it's not too bad." She murmured.

"It makes you look younger too." He commented offhandedly. "Really?" "Yeah. Before, you looked like you were around fourteen, now you look about seven." He laughed as Ariana punched him lightly in the arm.

He hadn't laughed in a long time.

"Stop that! It's not funny! It's not my fault everyone around me is freakishly tall!" she yelled. He just patted her on the head and kept walking. "Childishness aside, you do look kinda cute." Wash said softly. Ariana blushed and tried to hide a smile. "Don't get used to it." They walked in silence for a few more minutes, avoiding each other's gaze. Washington's eyes involuntarily traveled down to the girl's small frame. The dress exposed more of her collar bone and back… and more of her scars.

"I guess I should say sorry." Washington muttered, looking away. "What for?" the girl glanced at him curiously. "For… fighting with you recently, and trying to avoid you… and for what happened six years ago, and well-" He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry for a lot of things." Ariana looked down, "Oh." She moved a bit closer, getting a colder as the sun set.

"I-it's okay I guess." She said after a while. "It doesn't seem very relevant now." Washington opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and fell silent once again. Something warm pressed against his side, and he glanced down to see Ariana, red faced and shivering next to him.

"Are you cold?" he asked, with a hint of a smile. "N-no." she lied, trying to conserve her pride. Wash shook his head and draped his jacket over her shoulders, walking calmly away. "You have a better chance beating me in hand to hand combat than you do lying to me." He reprimanded her gently. Ariana followed him after a moment, clutching the jacket around her.

"I think you should know that next time, I am totally going to kick your ass." She declared determinedly. Washington scoffed, "In your dreams kid." Ariana smiled, a scheming glint in her eyes as she walked beside him. "Oh, I'll find a way. Believe me, I'll get you when your least expecting it."

"Agent Washington, can you come out here?" Caboose yelled into the base the next day. Washington reluctantly rose from his place in the common room to join the rookie outside. "What is it? Is something wrong?" He asked calmly. Caboose shook his head, grinning shyly. "Oh, nothing's wrong, I just need you to stand _right there_." Agent Washington was rather confused by this statement. "Uh, may I ask why?" Caboose started backing away slowly, "That's a secret. Just don't move." And with that, the young man ran away.

Washington was left questioning why he had to stand in _this exact spot_, when suddenly he heard a high pitched yell, and it hit him. All one-hundred and three pounds of it.

"WHAT THE HELL?" he shouted, as Ariana catapulted off the top of the base and landed on top of him, forcing the much larger man to the ground. He lay on his back in the dirt, knocked breathless, the girl who was dangerously close lay, unmoving, on top of him, her breath tickling his face. "Uh… Ariana, what are you-" then he realized she was whispering something, and listened closer.

"…four…five… six…" Ariana jumped up, grinning wildly. "Over five Seconds!" she yelled in triumph. "_I win!_" Wash stared in disbelief. "That- that doesn't count." He stuttered, sitting up, "You tricked me." Ariana was almost bouncing with glee. "Yes it does! I won and _you_ lost!" She proclaimed, running off to tell Caboose that the plan was a success.

Wash sat in the dust, going over what had just happened in the past few minutes. He had _lost_. To Ariana. _What was this fuckery?_

He laughed and shook his head. "I guess things change."

**YES! FUCKING FINALLY! I am so sorry this is so late. I have been the perfect combination of busy and lazy recently. I've also had a lot of shit going down at school.**

**Word of advice ladies, if a guy cheats on you, DUMP HIS ASS! If a guy lies to you all the time, DUMP HIS ASS! If a guy makes you feel guilty for something that was his fault, DUMP HIS ASS! If a guy shows any interest more than just polite friendship toward one of your much hotter friends, DUMP HIS ASS! If a guy continues to do something when you tell him to stop, DUMP HIS ASS! DON'T GO BACK TO HIM TIME AND TIME AGAIN BECAUSE HE SAYS HE "LOVES" YOU!**

**Um… yeah. Let's just say, I'm not dating again until I'm in college. **

**That little rant out of the way… I'm not really sure how to feel about this chapter. It seems a little pointless other than spacing out the more dramatic scenes, aside from the little background story. Basically, it was just three ideas that were too short for individual chapters, so I stuck them all here.**

**Some side notes on this Chapter: **

**I think it's hinted, but Ariana is five years younger than Wash. She used to a little kid crush on him when she was around ten, but he thought of her as more of a sister (that changed when they met in Freelancer). ;3**

**In my head Cannon, Wash joined Freelancer when he was 23. Because he's that cool.**

**Ariana is Scottish, because sometimes when I tried to write for her, I would speak in an accent. It didn't make sense at first, because she and Wash grew up together, and he doesn't have an accent, so I relocated her to America.**

**Donut likes to play dress up, and he thinks Ariana is a great model. I'm not exactly sure where he got the clothes though…**

**I also think that while she was training in Freelancer, that Ariana and Agent Maine were buddies. She sorta thought he was a big, cuddly, blood-thirsty Teddy Bear.**

**Yes, I ship Grimmons.**

**On Microsoft Word, this Chapter is 11 pages. It took me two months to get to page six. The last half of this story was written in the past two days. I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed of this fact…**

**On another note, GO CHECK OUT MY SISTER'S RvB FANFICS! She is called The Narwhal Ninja, and her writing is amazing. (it was her idea for Ariana and Caboose to bake muffins) Currently, we are co-authoring a fan fiction on her account call "Blood Gulch Idol" which guest stars Ariana in a few scenes. GO READ IT!**

**BUT DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW THIS EITHER!**


	5. Chapter Four: Headstrong

**A/N: I'm back Guys! I'm trying to update faster because I've realized that if one disappears for almost three months, one tends to lose Reviewers… which makes one sad.**

**So, this chapter is very fast paced, but we get to see little Ariana's bad ass side! Whoo! She's going to kill things!**

**Chapter Four:**

"_**Headstrong."**_

Ariana's legs wrapped around Washington's waist, her hands tangling in his hair, her breath coming out in short gasps. They were both blushing slightly, their hearts beating rapidly. Ariana's eyes widened, her tiny frame trembling. She let out a scream.

"KILL IT! KILL IT! PLEASE WASH! IT'S GOING TO EAT ME!"

Washington sighed. "_I can't kill the goddamn spider if you keep fucking clinging to me!_" he muttered, trying to pry the girl off of his back, unsuccessfully. Ariana tightened her grip on his shoulders. "I'm not touching the ground until I am certain that I will not be eaten by that arachnid. _Now kill the little bastard!_" She demanded, her voice growing higher by the second.

From his spot on the couch, Tucker scooped the dark, offending speck off the floor. With a smirk, he flicked it toward the two. Ariana shrieked and jumped back, still mostly attached to Washington, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Tucker laughed, "Calm down sweet cheeks, it's just a piece of lint." He snickered as the pair struggled to sit up. "Very funny." Wash grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as Ariana blushed furiously at her over reaction.

Three weeks. That's how long Ariana had been staying with them. She had proved to be rather useful, somehow managing to keep the Reds and Blues from killing each other, while giving them some tips about weaponry and hand to hand combat. Everyone seemed to get along well with her. Of course they were, she was bright and snarky and attractive-

And she was driving Agent Washington insane.

"Was that whole episode really necessary?" he asked in exasperation. "Of course it was." Ariana chirped curtly. "That spider could have been poisonous. And you're the tallest person in the general area." Wash shook his head. "It wasn't even a spider." "It could have been." She muttered.

"Next time, slow down. You're so rash sometimes, I swear one day you're going to jump to the wrong conclusion and get yourself shot." He berated her. "I'm not rash; I just like to be prepared." Wash scoffed, "Yeah, says the girl who forgot her lunch every day for the three months." Ariana's face flushed. "I was in second grade! Cut me some slack." She said defensively, stalking into the kitchen.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Wash turned to the rest, "Is that the Reds?" Tucker shook his head, "No way. They _never_ knock. They just bust in like a bunch of assholes." He looked around. "Did anyone order pizza or something?" Washington frowned. "That doesn't even make sense. How would they get pizza all the way out here?" "A guy can dream." Tucker replied wistfully.

There was another knock, and this time Caboose bound out of his room to answer it. "It's Santa! He's giving my gifts earlier!" Wash and Tucker glanced at each other and sighed in unison, getting up and following the blue private. Caboose had already yanked open the door and was staring at the two uniformed men in front of him.

"You're not Santa." He mused dejectedly, then brightened up, nearly bouncing. "Are you his helpers? Are you here to tell Tucker he's on the naughty list?" The two men looked at each other in confusion and Caboose rambled on about how bad Tucker had been and how he never listened to him and how he had _told _him he would get coal.

"Sir, we are Agents Jacobs and Doran. We were wondering if you could answer some questions for us." One of them spoke up as Wash approached the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ariana tense up and begin moving back. Something wasn't right. He walked up beside Caboose, his interest perking. "And what would those questions be?" he asked calmly.

"We've noticed some… suspicious activity out here. You see we're hunting down a criminal, wanted for countless crimes and murders." Washington's blood froze. _Oh shit_. They had found him. They knew he wasn't dead. He was going back to jail. And what about the Blues? What would happen to them? Would they be punished for helping him? Everything he thought he had overcome was crashing back down, crushing him. It was over.

But the agents didn't arrest him. They didn't pull out handcuffs. They didn't even seem to notice the panicked look in his eyes or the way his breathing had almost stopped. "We're looking for this woman." One agent said, holding up a picture. _Woman? _Oh, it wasn't him after all. Wash tried to suppress a sigh of relief, just to have his temporary sense of security ripped away from him as he stared at the picture.

He recognized the pale face, the light hair, the stunning blue eyes, and apparently Caboose did to. "Hey that looks like the nice lady." The agents fixed their sharp gazes on the young man, just as a loud crash was heard from the kitchen. Tucker smiled nervously as Wash muttered something about rats in the kitchen.

"Yeah Caboose, she does look like the nice lady. Remember the one at the store who helped us find the orange Juice?" Tucker covered. "Except I think she had brown eyes, right?" Caboose nodded, slightly confused, "Uh, yeah I don't understand… Hey I'm going to go get some orange juice! I think I left it in my room." Tucker smiled as Caboose walked off happily. The agents just shook their heads, seemingly deciding to ignore the private's outburst.

"Anyways, her name is Ariana Jayne Liddell. She is very dangerous so I would advise not approaching her. Just call us and we'll take care of it." Wash nodded grimly, completely wiping all emotion from his face. "Of course, we'll keep that in mind. Thank you for the notice." He replied, hoping the men would turn around and leave now.

The other agent, a slightly larger man who had been quiet up until now, stared up at Washington with suspicion. "Haven't I seen you before?" he asked. Wash raised an eyebrow, trying to hide his surprise. "I don't think so. I'm afraid I haven't left this outpost in almost two years." He lied straight faced. He was beginning to actually remember possibly meeting these men once before, but hoped it was just his nerves.

The large agent narrowed his eyes. "You know, I think we'd better check this base, just as a precaution." He said stepping in, reaching past to open the door wider. Washington grabbed his arm in a flash, his voice dropping threateningly. "I don't think that's necessary." He growled, lightly shoving the agent back.

The man's face was a mixture of surprise and indigence. His hand moved to the pistol on his side. "I think you need to remember your place." The man's sleeve rode up, revealing a tattoo of a pair of broken wings with the letters 'MA' on his wrist. All of sudden Wash remembered where he had seen the man, because _Ariana had the same tattoo_. The man was an assassin.

Wash was preparing for defensive action, glancing back at his battle riffle propped against the couch, noticing Tucker backing up toward the kitchen. But before anyone could make a move, the other Agent reach out and grabbed his partner's arm. "Calm down Jacobs. They're just simulation soldiers. We're wasting time." Jacobs let go of his gun and stepped back, still glaring at Wash. "Fine. Let's go." He replied, turning and stalking off, slamming the door behind them.

Wash stood by the door for a few moments, counting to ten over and over until he was almost certain they weren't coming back. He rushed into the kitchen, to find that the girl was nowhere to be seen. "Ariana?" he called softly, just in case they could somehow hear him. "Are they gone?" A light voice whispered somewhere near him. "Yeah, Where are you?" he answered. "Down here." Frowning, Washington opened the cupboard under the sink to find Ariana inside, hugging her knees to her chest.

He sighed and kneeled in front of her, a concerned expression crossing his features. "You know them don't you?" Ariana nodded. "Two of McAlister's top assassin's." she replied. "I'm not surprised he sent them. Doran's a crafty bastard, his best tracker, and Jacobs' had it out for me ever since I kicked his ass in training." She crawled out of the cupboard, standing up and beginning to pace around. "I-I don't know how this happened. I was so careful. How did they find me?" she mused under her breath.

"It seemed as if they were just going door to door. Maybe someone in some of the other bases around here spotted you before you got here and they're just checking the place out." He tried to reassure her, but Ariana still seemed perplexed. Her eyes darted about the room, and she was running her hands along one strand of hair restlessly. Wash placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, they're gone now, and they probably don't suspect us. But lay low just in case. If you go out, either wear armor or try to cover your face." He advised her, wondering if the armor would even fit on her. He glanced down at her wrist, which was protected by bracelets. "I suppose you know how to hide your assassin's tattoo.

Ariana smiled slightly, "I've already taken care of it." She replied hollowly, removing the bracelets, causing Washington's eyes to widen in shock. "I never liked the damned thing anyways." She explained, staring down emotionlessly.

On her wrist was not a tattoo, but a large crisscross of fresh scars that covered the image. Only a single broken wing was visible.

Ariana retreated into her room after Washington had made her promise not to do anything rash until they knew more about the assassins that were after her. She collapsed onto her bed, her mind racing. What if they figured it out? What would happen to her? To her friends?

Her thoughts traveled back to the night she had made her escape. She smirked as she remembered how that damn smug look had been ripped from McAlister's face as she had pulled out her pistol. Of course, the guards had tried to stop her, but she quickly took care of them. She had only managed to get a couple shots at her boss before she heard more guards and had fled the scene.

She remembered the exhilaration, how she had laughed breathlessly as she slipped into her room and grabbed her already packed bags, even though she knew that she probably hadn't managed to kill McAlister and that all hell was about to break loose. But at the moment, she hadn't cared. Ariana was _finally fucking free_. And even though the night was dark and cold, things had never looked brighter.

Then the cops started chasing her and everything just sort of went to shit. She did manage to commandeer one of the jets and had flown it the best she could, until she crash landed on Valhalla. Even there she still knew she was in trouble and had traveled from town to town, however few there were. And then she found the cave, and then Wash and the Reds and Blues, and for the first time in weeks Ariana felt… safe.

Now what? She was sitting in her room while there were assassins right outside hunting her down. She wanted to fight, to know that her temporary sanctuary was not in danger, but if they didn't suspect anything and she attacked, it would just screw everything up. Ariana kicked the wall in frustration. _I'm so fucking tired of hiding! _Her mind screamed.

Not knowing what else to do, and not wanting to risk breaking her foot by assaulting the wall anymore, she dug around for the old radio Donut had lent to her. Music helped. Music always helped calm her down. She really hoped there was a good heavy metal song playing somewhere. She flipped through channels, getting mostly static, which wasn't surprising since they were in the middle of nowhere, until she began to make out… something…

Not music. Voices. And not like a commercial either. They were communicating. Talking. Planning. _Saying her name_. And the worst part was that Ariana recognized them. She had found the same frequency the assassins used. Breathing unevenly, she turned up the volume.

_"-Yeah, just a bunch of idiots over here. One even asked if she was single. How about you?"_ A slightly unfamiliar voice spoke. _"Nothing at Red Base, some guy in pink kept asking if he could do my hair, and a fat guy asked if I had any pizza."_ Replied who Ariana recognized as Doran. She smiled, grateful that red team hadn't given away her location. _"What about the Blue base?"_ she held her breath.

_"Something is definitely suspicious about them. First some retard said she looked like 'the nice lady' like he knew her. Then I kept hearing these noises from the kitchen, but it seemed like there were only three people there. And they wouldn't let us into the base. The tall guy got really aggressive about it." _Doran reported as Ariana tried to remember how to breathe. _Shitshitshitshitshit._

_ "Aren't you going to tell him what I told you?" _Jacobs boomed over the radio. _"No, it's not important." _Doran answered. _"What is it Jacobs told you?" _the man on the other radio asked. Doran sighed. _"It's just some bogus theory he had about one of the soldiers there." "It's not just a 'bogus theory'!" _Jacobs spat. _"It's true!" "Jacobs, __what is it?__" _The exasperated voice asked loudly. The line was silent for what seemed like an eternity.

_"I think one of the guys there might be the target's ex-boyfriend." _ Jacobs answered. _"She had a lot of boyfriends, Jacobs." _The man sighed. _"Only one that really seemed to matter." _He argued. Ariana's heart skipped a beat, her face turning red. _"It was that Freelancer, Washington I think. Seemed like everywhere she went that guy was always watching over her."_

_ "Of course, J only knows this because he practically stalked her." _Doran snickered. _"Look, that bitch was hot. I would have probably banged her if it hadn't been for that damned Freelancer getting in the way." _Jacobs snapped back. Ariana retched at the very thought. _"Can we please get back on topic? What does this have to do with the mission?" _the man asked. _"Well, if this guy really is that Freelancer, we think he might be helping her." _Jacobs explained_ "It would explain a lot." _

"_But it doesn't make sense!"_ Doran protested. _"Agent Washington is dead! Don't you remember how upset Ariana got when she found out?" _Ariana felt herself blush. She didn't think it had been that obvious, considering the fact that she shouldn't have cared in the first place. _"Look, all I know is that she was spotted around here, the blue base is suspicious, and that asshole looked like her ex-boyfriend. I consider this a lead."_

Doran sighed. _"What do you suggest we do sir?" _he asked the man on the other side of the line. _"Don't report to McAlister yet."_ He replied. _"We should investigate further." "But sir I told you-" "If they won't let us in we'll make them." _Jacobs interrupted. _"I say we attack them. Tonight. See what they're really hiding." "And if she's not there?"_

"_We kill them all anyways."_

The line went dead, leaving Ariana frozen in terror. They were going to kill them. Her, the Blues, the Reds, Wash. The safety she had here had been torn apart. She peeked out her door, seeing Caboose and Tucker fighting over what TV show to watch, while Washington looked on, seemingly distracted. Oh god. Wash. If they found him, he could get sent back to jail, if they didn't kill him first.

Ariana decided she couldn't let that happen. This was her fight, and she wasn't going to let them get in the way. Silently, she grabbed her knife, her magnum, and her cloak and slipped out the door before anyone could notice. She would just have to fix this herself.

Washington scanned the area around blue base once again. Things had been mostly quiet since the visit from the assassins, though he was still on edge. They hadn't exactly been the picture of normalcy, and he probably could have handled that whole scene with Jacobs better. He remembered now seeing Jacobs whenever he used to visit Ariana sometimes, even remembered him hitting on her once. That hadn't gone over that well either. That fact that Jacobs may have recognized him was troublesome though.

Still, he hadn't seen or heard anything from the assassins since then, so maybe it would just blow over. _Yeah right, things are never that easy._ He thought bitterly. But as peaceful as things seemed now, he decided he should use it to reassure Ariana. She seemed pretty freaked out earlier, and she'd locked herself in her room hours ago.

As Washington walked toward her room, his mind traveled to her tattoo… or what was left of it. It… unsettled him, seeing that Ariana could mutilate herself like that. He wondered what could have happened to her after he left, to cause that to happen. Part of him told him it was his fault, but he pushed the thought away.

He noticed that the door to Ariana's room was left ajar, and he cautiously stepped inside the dark quarters, "Hey kid, you alright in here?" Silence met him. He switched on the lights, finding nothing but an empty room. "Ari?" he called out, even though he felt it was pointless. She was gone.

Washington tried to stifle his panic as he walked back to the common room, looking for Caboose and Tucker. "Guys, have you seen Ariana?" The two simulation troopers looked up from their video game questioningly, "No, what's wrong? Can't you find her?" Tucker asked. Wash shook his head. Caboose and Tucker exchanged worried glances, before standing up. Silently, the three went from room to room searching for the small girl.

They met back at the common room, their concern growing. "Did you check her room already?" Tucker questioned. Wash nodded. "She wasn't there, neither was her cloak or any of her… weapons…" Washington's eyes grew wide as realization dawned on him. "_That idiot!" _He yelled, running to get his armor and battle rifle, "She's going after them!"

Tucker and Caboose sprinted after him. "What? Why would she do that? They were scary!" Caboose yelled. Wash finished pulling on his armor, turning to the blues. "Caboose, you stay here, just in case she realizes how senseless she's being and comes back. Tucker, see if you can get some assistance from the Reds. I know they hate us, but they might be willing to help Ariana. If I'm right, she's going to need it."

With that, he tugged on his helmet and ran out of the base, hoping for once that when he found Ariana, she there would be enough left of her to be upset with.

Ariana watched the men below her from the cliff ledge she was perched on. She could make out three of them, Jacobs, Doran, and a man she assumed was the guy they were talking to over the radio earlier. It appeared they were planning the attack on the Blue base, but she inched closer, trying to make out what they were saying.

_This is stupid. You're going to get yourself killed. _The more sensible part of her brain protested. _Look at them, they're huge! Three of them against tiny little you! You'll be slaughtered at best! _Ariana tried to shake off the ominous thoughts. She could do this. She was a trained assassin after all, and a damn good one at that. So, what if these guys were some of McAlister's best operatives? She had faced worse.

_Oh Bloody Hell. Wash is going to kill me for this._

Silently, Ariana edged closer to the assassins, her light footsteps not making a sound. Doran and the other assassin were talking adamantly, while Jacobs stood aside, probably keeping guard. The other two weren't paying much attention to him, and Jacobs was obviously annoyed by the fact. Silently, and not daring to breath, Ariana crept up behind him, ever so slowly… until there was a small _snap_ as she stepped on a twig.

Before Jacobs could turn around, the small girl had darted out and hit him over the head with the butt of her pistol, knocking him out. Thankfully, the others hadn't heard and had continued with their argument. Ariana used her foot to roll a drooling Jacobs out of sight and slipped behind a tree, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Suddenly Doran stopped mid-sentence and turned, finding that Jacobs wasn't there. "Shit!" the man yelled before Ariana fired, the bullet grazing his leg and causing him to stumble. The other man ran at her, aiming his gun, but she vaulted over him, spinning and digging her knife into his shoulder. He began to wildly fire, but she dodged every bullet, turning to fire back, using the kneeling Doran to launch herself into the air, which caused him to face plant into the ground once again.

Ariana grasped a limb of the tree above her, swinging onto it and perching on it like a hawk. The tree made her an easier target, but she had the higher ground now. Doran and the man had both recovered and were now shoot in her general direction, but only hitting leaves as she climbed higher. She stopped for a moment and turned back, tossing something at them. The two assassins stared in shock at the grenade between them before taking cover. Ariana used the wind from the blast to carry her from the tree to the rocky ledge above them.

She risked a peek from behind the rock where she was hiding, witnessing with satisfaction Doran struggling to disentangle himself from the remnants of a bush as the other man stood up, gripping his gun tightly. "Where is she?" he roared, searching frantically. Ariana flipped in the air, landing gracefully on his shoulders, forcing him to the ground and snatching his gun as it flew from his grasp. She skillfully rolled the man over, aiming his own gun at his head. "Looking for me sweetie?" she smirked.

By this time, Doran had freed himself and was running for his pistol. "Don't even think about it." Ariana threatened, raising her own weapon at him. Both of them frozen, she turned back to the man beneath her, leaning in dangerously. "Now tell me, who are you and who sent you here?" she growled. The man narrowed his eyes, "What makes you think I'd tell you?" "Maybe because I can shoot you in the throat. No burden to me, I'll just move on to dearest Doran here. He's not an idiot. He'll talk." She pressed the gun closer. "Either way, I get the information I want. Who gives it to me just may very well save your vocal chords."

The man glared at her, fury burning in his eyes. "My name is O'Conner. But you already know why I'm here don't you?" he grinned darkly, "I can tell by the fear in your eyes. McAlister wasn't too happy that you ran away. I'm afraid he wants his favorite little pet back." Ariana kept her face emotionless, her eyes cold. "Well that's too bad, because I'm not going back. And neither are you."

She had her finger on the trigger when she was lifted in the air roughly. "Think you could get rid of me that easily?" Jacobs whispered darkly. Ariana screamed, kicking out wildly. "Shut her up, will you?" O'Connor growled. Jacobs shoved his hand over her mouth as she tried to struggle away, her shouts of protest muffled. "That should keep her quie- OW! SHIT!" Jacobs threw the girl to the ground, clutching his hand. "She bit me! That bitch bit me!"

Despite the circumstances, Ariana managed a small triumphant smile… before she was shoved back down.

"All right that's it. You're paying for that, you whore." Jacobs growled, pulling out his knife as he approached her. "O'Conner, Doran, hold her down. I think I deserve to have a little fun with this one." Ariana glared up at them furiously, "You shouldn't play with sharp objects Jake-y. One way or another, you're going to get hurt." She sneered. Jacobs just laughed, kneeling beside her and running the blade across her cheek, causing little beads of blood to form on the edge. "I don't think you're in any position to taunt me, do you?"

He moved the blade lower, making small, stinging cuts across her exposed collar bone and arms. "It's a shame McAlister asked for you in one piece. I could really make you scream then." Ariana stifled small cry as she felt an agonizing pain in her side. Jacobs smiled with a terrifying glint in his eyes. "Oh well, at least he never specified how much blood you need to return with."

Ariana grimaced as she felt tears sting her eyes. No. If she was dying, she wasn't going to go out begging and screaming. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction. She smiled. "Enjoying this, Jacobs?" she laughed feebly. "Bet the closest thing you've gotten to a girl lately is spraying your hand with perfume, right?"

Jacobs' eyes flashed in rage. "You little whore! Let's see you talk that shit with a hole in your throat!" he bellowed, raising the knife above his head. Ariana closed her eyes as Jacobs brought it down on her, piecing her skin and killing her almost instantly….

Or that's what would have happen had the weapon not been shot out of his hand.

Agent Washington knocked Jacobs to the ground just seconds after the gunshot, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Ariana took advantage of their surprise, twisting out of the grasps of the assassins holding her, grabbing her pistol and firing into the mess. O'Conner jumped to his feet, trying to grab her again, but she dodged him, sending a bullet his way. Doran tried to help Jacobs, but Wash was doing a fine job of keeping both of them at bay.

The assassins were wounded, but still not giving in. Jacobs catapulted at Washington, but Wash simply stepped out of the way, grabbing his ankle as he dove by, slinging him around and sending him crashing into his team mates. Then he grabbed Ariana's arm and practically dragged her to shelter before they had time to recover.

"You are such a fucking idiot!" The agent snapped. Even though she couldn't see behind his helmet, Ariana knew Washington was furious. "I-I know." She stuttered, smiling wryly. Wash sighed and his voice softened a bit. "Good. Are you okay?" Ariana was breathing heavily and clutching her side. "I'll be fine." She insisted.

Wash glanced in the direction of the assassins, who were now firing at the cliff face they were hiding behind. "Okay, I think I can hold them off. When I give the signal-" "Don't you dare tell me to run, Agent Washington." Ariana commanded sternly. "They know I'm here now. If even one of them gets away they'll report it to McAlister and then we're all screwed. I'm not leaving until they're all dead."

Washington was silent for a moment. _Dammit I hate when he has that bloody helmet on._ Ariana complained inwardly, _I can't tell what he's thinking._ Finally Washington turned to her and nodded. "Alright, but be careful." Ariana rolled her eyes. "What's the plan?" she asked, returning fire at the assassins every so often.

Wash did the same, gritting his teeth as a bullet scraped his shoulder. "Well, right now… get out from behind this rock and try not to die I guess." He replied simply. Ariana laughed breathlessly. "Really? That thought never occurred to me." "Hey, you got us into this mess!" Washington pointed out irritably "Do you have any better ideas?"

"Listen asshole I- Whoa! Look out!" Ariana yelled, pulling Washington away from the grenade that had landed at his feet just before it went off. The blast sent them both tumbling away from the cliff face and into the thick brush behind it, Ariana landing on top of the former freelancer. Upon realizing their situation Ariana smirked. "You know if we weren't being shot at this position would be much more enjoyable." She announced softly. Washington groaned inwardly and rolled the small girl away from him so he could stand up….

…Only to come face to face with the barrel of a gun.

"Put your weapons down." O'Conner demanded. Wash's eyes darted back at Ariana, who was now glaring at Jacobs, clutching her guns with such force, her knuckles were turning white. Doran stepped forward, "Listen, we don't want to kill you yet-" "Speak for yourself!" Jacobs interrupted. "-but try to fight and we won't hesitate."

Neither of them obeyed the order, moving closer until they were back to back. "This would be a good time to have a plan." Ariana muttered to the agent. "I'm working on it." He snapped back. "Hey, we said drop your weapons!" Doran yelled. "Considering you're surrounded, you don't have a choice. So just- hey, what the hell is that music?"

Washington smiled slightly from behind his helmet. "That, my friend, is the sound of tables turning." He explained. Turning to the girl beside him, he whispered, "Now might be a good time to run." Just as the warthog came crashing over the ridge, Tucker trailing behind it.

"HOLY SHIT! _Is that a car?_" Doran screamed right before the military issued vehicle ran him over. "Grif! You're ruining the paint job! We just got this one!" Sarge shouted as they plowed over the body. The others scattered as Simmons fired the turret wildly. "Suck it… uh… assassins!" Ariana and Washington rolled out of the way, landing on opposite sides of the jeep, guns at the ready.

The Reds seemed to be enjoying the fight, and watching Jacobs and O'Conner trying to dodge the bullets, running around like headless chickens. "Hey! Watch where you're aiming that thing!" Tucker shouted, ducking a blast just in time before adding "Bow chicka bow wow."

O'Conner, fed up with the whole game, took out a grenade and tossed it straight at the Warthog. "Today is a good day to die!" Sarge yelled as the explosive approached. "Not on my watch old man." Grif muttered, pulling the sergeant out of the truck as Simmons landed beside them, just as the truck exploded.

O'Conner ran out to finish them off while they tried to take cover from the debris, but before he could reach them, Tucker ran out and tackled him. "Hey dude, attacking those losers just isn't cool." He chided, pulling out his sword and stabbing him through the chest. O'Conner pushed the solider off of him, before the reds swarmed around him. "That was a brand new jeep, son." Sarge growled. "In my book, that makes you worse than a dirty blue. Get 'em!"

Washington broke away from the chaos with Ariana close behind, searching for Jacobs. "Help me." Doran moaned, a few feet away from them. His legs were broken gruesomely; his arms twisted unnaturally, blood dripping from his mouth as he spoke. Wash almost felt… sorry for him. "Please, I can help." H pleaded. "I-I know how to stop him. I can keep McAlister from finding you." Ariana backed up nervously. "No! Wait! He'll hurt you! There's something you don't know! Before you left he-"

Doran's head landed in a puddle of crimson liquid with a sickening thud, blood pouring out the hole in his head. Ariana shrieked and staggered back into Agent Washington. Jacobs stepped out, "Can't let that stupid bitch go telling all our secrets." He grumbled as he turned the pistol in his hands. Ariana ran at him, brandishing her knife, evading every bullet he shot at her. Jacobs kicked her, but she regained her balance quickly and lashed out, cutting his arm.

Washington hit Jacobs from behind, and the assassin threw a few punches in his direction, before twisting toward Ariana. The two worked in unison, fighting and whirling until they had almost backed Jacobs against the cliff wall. In a final act of desperation, Jacobs smashed his fist against Washington's helmet, knocking it loose and sending its owner falling to the ground.

Time froze. Ariana moved to cover him but Jacobs knocked her out of the way easily. In one swift motion Jacobs grabbed Washington by the throat and shoved him against the wall. "I knew it." Jacobs growled with a smirk. "You're him aren't you? You're that bitch's psycho ex-boyfriend." Wash managed to choke out something along the lines of: "I'm not crazy." before Jacobs hit him.

"Guess that means you're going back to jail now." He taunted, "Then we get little Ariana all to ourselves again. That will be fun." The agent's glare could have struck an army dead. "You. Won't. Fucking. Touch. Her."

Jacobs smiled sadistically, "You're such a hypocrite Agent Washington. You caused her more pain in one night than any of us ever will." Washington stopped struggling, his eyes staring in horror. "No! S-Shut up!" he protested. The assassin's grin grew wider and he tightened his grip around his throat "Don't you remember? It was the night you-"

The knife flew through the air and embedded itself in Jacobs's neck. He fell to the ground limply, that sick smile still plastered on his face. "That guy is such a dick." Ariana sighed, letting her shoulders slump. Washington stepped over the body, gasping for breath. "Thanks Ari." She shrugged, "No problem. I've wanted to do that for a long time. I probably should have- uh-I-" she groaned and put a hand to her head, black spots dotting her vision.

Wash turned to her in concern. "Hey, are you alright?" she grimaced, blinking a couple times. "I'm fine. Just a little dizzy, that's all." She took a step towards him, and immediately her knees buckled. "Ariana!" Washington broke into a run, catching her just before she hit the ground. "Hey kid, what's going on?" he asked, anxiously kneeling beside her.

He looked down at his hands. They were stained red. He pulled back her jacket and found her shirt soaked in blood. By this time the Reds and Tucker had finished off O'Conner and were walking toward them. When they saw the girl collapse they quickened their pace. "Wha-What happened?" Tucker yelled. "She was stabbed. Oh shit, the bleeding won't stop. Go get help! Call a medic! Something!" Wash yelled frantically.

Ariana could hear voices shouting. Why were they so upset? She couldn't remember. Everything was so blurry and her head hurt and she was tired and she didn't like it. She tried to reach out to grasp something but even that caused a fresh burst of agony across her.

She was vaguely aware of strong arms wrapped around her, and a calming voice coming from somewhere. She tried to focus on that, drawing comfort from it. There was something familiar about it, something that reminded her of warmth and safety. She leaned into his arms, darkness overcoming her vision, one name burning through her mind just before she fell into the dark.

_David._

_David, I'm scared._

**Ohh… look at that! Another cliff hanger! (I'm such a terrible person.)**

**So, this should have been finished two weeks ago, but I had finals so I spent half the week studying until the wee hours of the morning, and the other half sleeping. Anywho, I felt bad, so I stayed up until 3 am finishing this for you!**

**Ariana is kinda flirty when she fights, it off sets her opponents and gives her an advantage.**

**I felt kinda bad for Doran, I pretty much tortured the poor kid. Oh well! :3**

**How many of you got the wrong idea on the first paragraph? You dirty minded freaks. *troll face* ^.^**

**Review please! Comment, critique, or just say hi if you want!**


	6. Chapter Five: New Year's Revelation

**Chapter Five:**

_** "New Year's Revelation"**_

Ariana blinked open her eyes, the bright light stinging her retinas_. Where am I? Why does everything hurt? I thought you were supposed to stop hurting when you died. _"Well, look who finally decided to wake up." commented a voice somewhere near her. She turned her head toward the sound, seeing Agent Washington, now out of his armor and back in casual clothes, leaning against the wall.

The girl closed her eyes again and tilted her head back. "Oh great. I've died and gone to hell." She muttered. "Not quite." A light voice snickered, and she glanced up to see Donut hovering above her. "You were close though. You're in the blue base infirmary. You've been out for, like, ever! Well only a few hours actually, but still…" Ariana scanned her surroundings, finding that Tucker and Caboose were in the room as well, along with one man wearing purple that she didn't recognize.

The man smiled at her, holding out his hand. "Hello there. I'm medical officer Frank Defresne, but most people here call me Doc. It's nice to meet you Ariana." She tried to reach out and shake his hand, but the motion sent a shock of pain through her, and the appendage dropped back onto the too white sheets that covered her torso. "Wha-what happened?" she asked quietly.

"You were stupid and reckless and got yourself stabbed, that's what happened!" Washington reported bitterly. Ariana narrowed her eyes, opening her mouth to deliver a sharp retort, before Doc nervously interrupted, patting Ariana's shoulder reassuringly. "You had to have a few stitches, that's all."

Caboose nodded adamantly. "You went to sleep and it was scary and then the sergeant and Simon and that yellow guy took the scary men away after they fell asleep too. I saw a lot of smoke after that. But then we called the doctor and he made you stop leaking red stuff and sewed you back together."

Washington stepped back into view, obviously still very pissed off "What the hell were you thinking Ariana? What the fuck actually possessed you to try and fight them on your own?" he shouted furiously. Ariana didn't shrink back, though she kind of wanted to, and glared straight back at him. "I-I intercepted some of their transmittions. They were going to attack blue base! I wasn't just about to stand aside and let that happen!" she excused.

"Well then you should have told us and we could have helped." He growled. "You put everyone at risk by going by yourself. Did you honestly think you could take on all three of them and win?" Ariana sat up, ignoring the nauseating agony in her side. "Stop treating me like a kid Wash!" she shouted, her bright blue eyes smoldering. "I'm not just some damsel in distress waiting for you to swoop in and save. I can take care of myself!"

Washington scoffed. "Obviously not well enough! If we hadn't shown up when we did, you would have been _killed!_" Ariana laughed bitterly, "Oh, right. Like you'd even care."

The room was completely silent. Doc stepped between the two cautiously "That's enough you two! You're upsetting the patient!" he squeaked, fretting over the small girl. "Oh look at that. You've torn the stitches." Ariana blinked and looked down, immediately shrieking and tugging the blanket up to her chin.

"What? What's wrong?" Donut asked worriedly. Ariana's face was beat red. "I'm surrounded by guys and I'm only wearing a bra!" she shrieked in mortification. Caboose jumped back, his hands in the air. "TUCKER DID IT!" "SHUT UP! I DID NOT! This time…" Donut tried to explain. "Well, your shirt was soaked in blood and we couldn't get to your wound so…" "I DON'T CARE WHY! JUST GET THE HELL OUT!"

Donut hurriedly shoved Tucker and Caboose out of the small room, Washington trailing behind them. Ariana sighed in relief, falling back onto the bed. "W-Wait! Wash, could you stay a minute?" Doc called timidly, causing Ariana to whine in protest and Agent Washington to turn to him in confusion. "Why?" "I need someone to help with the stiches, it'll only take a few minutes." He replied as he pulled some supplies from the dusty cupboards. "And quite honestly I don't trust the others around sharp objects. I barely trust you." He added quietly.

Washington reluctantly pulled over a chair and sat down next to Ariana's temporary bed. The girl had now pulled the covers up to her eyes, which were glaring at him furiously. He rolled his eyes, inwardly laughing at her childishness. "Stop pouting Ariana. It's not like I haven't seen you in less." What was visible of her face blushed even deeper as her stare flicked apprehensively toward the medic also in the room, though he seemed not to be paying any attention as he sterilized his equipment.

Ariana lowered the sheets a tiny bit. "That was a long time ago. And I was drunk." She hissed, causing a slight smirk to hint at the agent's features. "_One time_ you were drunk. The other encounters were all sober. Well, mostly." He corrected under his breath. Arian glanced away angrily.

"Fuck you."

"You already did. Your insult is now invalid."

Ariana squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. _Mama, forgive me. I am going to brutally murder this man._

"Okay then. Wash, can you clear the blood away while I remove the older stiches?" Doc suggested as he approached them, apparently oblivious to their prior conversation. Washington adjusted himself so he could get closer to the cut and took the damp cloth Doc handed him as Ariana unenthusiastically allowed the medic to move the blankets away from the stab wound on her side.

She hadn't really gotten a good look at it until then. It was a long, deep gash just below her rib cage that was slowly dripping blood from the places where the stiches had torn. A tiny part of her acknowledged a bit of gratitude toward Wash for shooting that knife out of Jacobs's hand when he did. Only a tiny part, though.

Doc began slowly cutting away the remaining stitches, the blood flowing slightly more profusely. Washington wiped away the crimson liquid as often as necessary, the cold fabric almost making her jump. She risked a glance at his face, expecting to find a smirk or mocking look, only to see that he seem concentrated and focused and… maybe even a little concerned, though the idea sounded absurd in her head.

This process continued for several more minutes, making Ariana thankful that she was lying down due to how dizzy she was getting from losing more blood. Doc pulled away, finishing cutting the stiches and reaching for his needle. "That'll be fine Wash. Thanks for the help, you can go." Washington shrugged and began to walk away, until a small hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

Ariana's wide eyes stared at the needle in dread. She'd always hated needles, they ranked somewhere between spiders and thunderstorms on the rather small list of her biggest fears. Without a word, Washington sat down next to the frightened girl, ignoring Doc's curious glances. As the medic began stitch the wound for the second time, Ariana shut her eyes tightly, trying not to cringe as the needle pierced her soft skin.

_It's either amazing or ridiculous, _Wash thought to himself, _that she will take on three trained killers twice her size with no hesitation, yet she trembles at the very sight of a needle. _His concern increased when she let out a barely audible whimper. Not knowing what else to do, he took her hand in his, squeezing it gently, attempting to comfort her.

"Okay I'm done." Doc declared cheerily minutes later, dropping the needle into the pan along with the rest of his tools. "You did a very good job Ariana. Most people would try to bite me if a came near them with a needle." From the way Ariana was glaring at the medic, Wash could tell that she had gotten very close to that point. Doc smiled nervously and left the room to find more bandages and another shirt for his patient, leaving Washington and Ariana alone.

Both of them were quiet for a few moments, until they realized that they were still holding hands and abruptly pulled away. Ariana tugged the blanket back up and crossed her arms, avoiding the gaze of her former best friend. The moments passed in awkward silence as she contemplated whether to apologize or just pretend it hadn't happen or maybe just-

"I would care."

Ariana was pulled out of her thoughts as she stared at Agent Washington in shock. "Wha-What do mean?" Even though the man was facing away from her, she could still see his face turning slightly red. "If you had been killed… I would care." He admitted. "I might not show it, but I would."

"I know." Ariana gave a slight, apologetic smile. "It was a stupid thing to say." She sighed, moving a hand down to trace her stiches "I guess I've done a lot of stupid things lately." Washington looked up for a moment before shaking his head. "Stupid? Yes. And pretty fucking brave as well." Ariana's smile widened slightly, her cheeks growing warmer.

"But I screwed up." She confessed. "I charged in without knowing what I was doing and I got hurt and risked everyone's safety and could have gotten us all killed." Wash shrugged. "It doesn't matter now I guess. You won. They're gone. The Reds made sure to drive the bodies as far as possible before disposing of them, and no one else is dead, so don't worry about it anymore."

Ariana studied him curiously. "Then why were you so upset?" she asked softly. Washington, unprepared for such a question, turned away from the inquisitive stare of her brilliant blue eyes. He fell silent again, his gaze never leaving his hands as he struggled to find words.

"I watched you die in my arms once Ariana." Washington breathed finally. "I-I wasn't ready to see that again."

Ariana nodded in understanding, reaching out to grasp his hand just as he had done moments before. It somewhat resembled a child wrapping its tiny fingers around that of an adult, but Wash managed a faint smile anyways. Satisfied with the result, Ariana beamed and pulled back slowly, her fingers tracing across his calloused skin as she rested back onto the bed and closed her eyes.

Washington couldn't explain why, but his smile fell slightly with the absence of her touch.

The next few weeks passed in a blur. Ariana was recovering quickly (a side effect from getting injured so often as an assassin) and was soon back to her normal ADHD antics of trying to shoot anything that moved, gossiping with Donut, and often teasing Agent Washington.

Doc had left soon after he had determined that Ariana was healing fine on her own, seemingly happy to be able to get away from the simulation troopers and especially their former freelancer ally. They had heard nothing from the assassins or McAlister since then.

All in all, things were pretty peaceful for once…

Which is exactly why Donut had to go screw it up.

"Donut, we don't even know which day New Year's Eve is on this planet! Why are we having a party?" Grif complained, gaining a few mutters of agreement from the rest of the crowd gathered around the pink private. Donut rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh come on guys! It'll be fun! I mean, New Year's has to come sometime, so we might as well pretend it is while we have nothing else to do."

The others looked at him skeptically. What had started out as a mostly peaceful lunch over at Red base had somehow turned into a party planner meeting. "No way. I'm not coming." Tucker declared. "I'll have alcohol!" Donut chimed enticingly. There was a pause, and then everyone shrugged and nodded. "Fine. When's this party anyways?"

"Tomorrow night!" Donut announced happily. "We'll watch movies and eat and play drinking games- and Ariana will help!" Said helper stopped mid-bite of her peanut butter and nutella sandwich and stared up at Donut incredulously. "Ariana is doing what?" she answered. Donut turned to her with big blue puppy eyes.

"Please Ariana? It'll be so lonely working by myself." He pleaded. "Well, alright. But I-" "That's great!" Donut interrupted cheerfully. "We can decorate and bake cookies-"

"Um, I'm not the best cook-"

"And we'll have a sleep over and make a fort and tell ghost stories-"

"Hey, slow down-"

"And then I can help you pick out a dress and do your hair and-"

"Donut, I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself." Ariana sighed.

Donut grabbed her arm and began dragging her to his room. "Come on! I need help picking out the colors for the decorations! Red and Green clash something awful."

The next night, Washington, Tucker, and Caboose walked into red base, the two younger privates marveling at the shiny silver and light blue streamers hanging everywhere. Simmons was fiddling with the TV, trying to make it less static-y while Grif munched on a few chocolate chip cookies lazily. Sarge had his arms crossed and was staring around the room disapprovingly, wondering how Donut convinced him to hang _blue_ streamers in his _red_ base.

Washington, however, wasn't paying attention to any of this, because he had just caught sight of Ariana chatting with Donut in the commons. Her normally wild, messy hair had been straightened, now falling gracefully across her shoulders and down her back. Somehow, Donut had managed to get her into a small, sky blue dress with a white bow tied around the middle and a shiny silver swirl design twisting from the edges.

Washington had almost forgotten how simply beautiful she was.

Ariana noticed Wash looking at her, and her eyes lit up as she excused herself and made her way over to him. "What do you think?" she asked, gesturing at her outfit. Washington shrugged nonchalantly. "You look nice, I guess." He smirked. Ariana rolled her eyes and punched his arm playfully as Donut called everyone over.

Washington took his seat on the couch, Ariana sitting next to him. Grif began passing out the beer, and she reached for one before Wash snatched it out of her grasp. "Hey!" she protested. "No alcohol." He answered simply. "Don't you remember what happened at Maine's birthday party?" Ariana bit her lip, contemplating the question for a moment before shaking her head. "Nope."

Wash sighed, "Exactly. You had three drinks, got drunk off your ass, started making out with Agent Tennessee, and I had to drag you home." She smiled bashfully, "Oh that. That was kinda fun." "Speak for yourself." Washington muttered. "You didn't have to watch your best friend grind up against some arrogant hick."

Ariana giggled lightly, "Do I sense jealousy?" she chimed innocently, sneakily moving her hand toward the bottle in his loosened grasp. Washington ignored her and jerked the beer out of reach again, smirking triumphantly. "No alcohol, Ariana. Don't even try arguing." The girl crossed her arms and sank back into the couch, as Wash passed the bottle back to Grif.

The others glanced at the two curiously, noticing their change in demeanor in the past few weeks. They had been acting more comfortable around each other since the assassins attacked, Ariana even managed to extract a small laugh from the cold hearted agent on a few occasions. This seemed to confuse most of the soldiers but Donut smiled wryly, as if he could already see what was happening between the two.

"Hey, let's play a game!" Donut suggested, causing almost everyone in the room to groan. "Oh come on, it's just until Simmons gets the DvD player working!" "I'm trying! It's not my fault somebody stuffed cupcakes in here." Simmons complained with a pointed glare at Caboose. Donut arranged everyone in a circle and then explained. "Okay, so someone will ask a question beginning with 'When was the last time…' and then everyone will take turns answering. I'll start: When was the last time you ate ice cream?"

The game went on for a few moments, with uneventful answers and questions such as, "When was the last time you cried at the ASPCA commercials?" or "When was the last time you talked to your parents?" Finally, Tucker, dying of boredom and on his third beer, leaned in with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"When was the last time you got laid?" he asked with a grin. Donut recoiled with horror. "Tucker! We are in the presence of a _lady!_ We can't ask those kinds of questions." "What's the matter?" Caboose asked in a loud whisper. "Does she not know about special cuddling? Church told me what that meant."

Ariana laughed, slightly awkward. "Um, it's alright guys, I really don't care. I mean, as long as you don't go into detail or anything." She stuck out her tongue in mock revulsion. Thus everyone continued the game, answers being roughly along the lines of whenever they left for war or in Caboose's case, he cuddled with a kitten and said it counted because she was soft and it was nice. Everyone just smiled and agreed.

"Three years." Tucker declared. "Hey, isn't that the same time Sister showed up?" Simmons pointed out before Grif fixed a death glare at the teal private. "You little whore! I should-" "Hey Wash! You haven't answered yet!" Tucker distracted nervously. Washington crossed his arms, uninterested. "Neither has Ariana." He pointed out. She blushed, "I said I was alright with the question being asked, not answering it." She muttered.

Finally, after about five minutes of badgering -mostly by a nervous Tucker and eager Donut- they both gave in.

"Six years." They both admitted in unison.

Six pairs of eyes stared up at the two in shock. Ariana and Washington both felt their faces turning red as they avoided looking at each other. "Um, mind if I ask with whom?" Donut inquired suspiciously. The pair scrambled for responses. "Tenn." Ariana answered quickly at the same time Washington mumbled "South."

The room was silent for a moment before they both turned to each other sharply and shouted "_YOU LYING WHORE!_" before their eyes widened in horror once again. "Oh dear god…" Ariana grabbed a pillow and covered her now flaming red face, as Washington groaned and shook his head. "I'm gonna need another beer…"

"Hey, I think the movie is working now." Simmons announced, trying to break the tension. Everybody recovered enough to find a better seat: Grif taking up most of the couch Simmons was on, Sarge sitting in his own chair, Donut and Caboose on the floor wrapped in blankets, Tucker hiding behind one of the couches from Grif, and Ariana and Washington in their original spots, still avoiding eye contact.

Things seemed to lighten up a few minutes into the movie. It was some sort of horror movie, and Simmons and Grif seemed to be having fun betting on who would die next, while Sarge cheered whenever someone wearing blue or orange was killed, and Tucker made lewd comments every time a hot girl walked on.

Washington looked on in boredom as Donut and Caboose shrieked and covered their eyes every time the villain showed up. Ariana entertained herself by commenting on how the blood splatter was incorrectly positioned based on what weapon was used. One would suppose that this was a normal thought process to a trained assassin.

Half way into the movie, Washington felt a pressure next to him, and glanced over to find that Ariana had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He tried to shift away, but was worried about waking her. He was suddenly reminded of a similar time back in Freelancer… before the Epsilon incident, before everything had gotten so confusing, on a transport back to command after a small mission with Maine and York…

"_York! York!" Washington whispered frantically. Freelancer Agent New York looked up from the small book he was reading curiously. "What's the problem, Wash?" He glanced over nervously at the girl lying on his shoulder, who was blissfully unaware of his panic. "What do I do? She won't wake up!" _

_York chuckled and shook his head. "Oh man, you've got a lot to learn." He sighed. Wash frowned, "What do you mean by that?" York nudged the hulking mass beside him awake, "Hey Maine, come on, Wash needs our help with something." The huge man blinked a couple of times before growling groggily. Noticing how uncomfortable the man across from him was, he smirked._

"_Hey, shut up! She fell asleep on me and I can't get her to wake up!" he complained. "I wouldn't advise that actually." York warned calmly. "Why not?" "Because she likes you, stupid." Maine announced bluntly. Washington's face turned red. "Wha-What? No…that- Is that allowed? Are you sure it's not against protocol?" _

"_Screw protocol! Don't you like her back?" York asked. Wash's blush deepened. "I-uh- no! I mean yes- or um- well she's very pretty and I-" "I'll take that as a yes." York grinned. "Listen Wash, I know a thing or two about women, just listen to me for a minute." "Oh yeah. How's things working out with Carolina, just out of curiosity?" Wash retorted. It' was York's turn to get red faced. "Do you want me to help you or not?" "Fine."_

"_Okay, I'll demonstrate this for you." York began. "I'll be a girl, and Maine, you be Wash." "He's so scrawny! What do you expect me to do, shrink ten sizes?" Maine balked. "Just pretend." York hissed with annoyance, as Washington glared. "Okay starting… now." York directed._

_He acted like he was yawning and stretched, now speaking in a ridiculously high pitched voice. "Oh my gosh! I'm so tired! Hey, he looks strong and attractive! I'll just go to sleep on him!" York rested his head on Maine's shoulder, causing the large man to glare at him murderously. "York, I am __**not**__ comfortable with this." He growled as Washington snickered uncontrollably. "Just go with it man."_

_York turned back to Wash. "Now you don't want to push her away, because then she'll think you don't like her and she'll be upset. And I wouldn't suggest waking her up either, some girls might get cranky and punch you." He rubbed a bruise from Carolina subconsciously. "Your best bet is to slowly wrap your arm around her." He looked up. "Maine, show Wash what I mean."_

"_No." he growled. "No?" "I don't want to. It's weird and I don't like it." The large man objected. York smiled optimistically, "Come on man, Wash is sheltered. How else is he supposed to learn this stuff?" Maine begrudgingly put one arm across York's shoulders. "If you try to fucking kiss me, I'm gonna rip your stupid pretty boy lips off." He threated. _

_ York laughed nervously, "Um anyways, Wash. Girls like it when you put your arm around them because they feel like you're trying to protect them or some shit and they think it's sweet." He explained, and Wash nodded, still a little unsure. "Oh, and if she starts sliding and ends up in your lap, just go with it." York added. "And play with her hair, too. Girls love it when you do that."_

_ York, always wanting to do his job right, began to display his point as he moved closer to Maine. "BITCH PLEASE! GET THE FUCK OFF!" Maine growled, shoving York off of him indignantly. He tumbled onto the floor, "Hey, calm down! I was just trying to help Wash! Lighten up, will you?" he muttered. Maine smirked "Lighten up, huh? Is that what you have to tell 'Lina when you two are fu-" "Alright big guy, you're going down!" York shouted as he tackled Maine._

_ Washington watched them wrestled on the ground for a few minutes, lightly aiming blows at each other as they tumbled around the transport. "What are you losers doing back there?" Pilot four-seven-niner called back from the cockpit. "Nothing!" the Freelancers answered in unison, just as Maine managed to get York in a head lock. The two skirmishing friends broke apart and sat back down as if the fight had never happened. _

_ Next to Washington the tiny girl began to stir at all the commotion, and he gently, timidly wrapped an arm around her. He pulled her closer and stroked her hair rhythmically until her breathing evened out again and she nestled against him. Washington's eyes lit up as he tried not to laugh giddily._

_ York beamed at the pair to the like of a proud father. Maine rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat. "You guys are a bunch of pansies. I'm going back to sleep." He grumbled, though there was a hint of a grin on his lips as he closed his eyes. In her apparent slumber, Ariana smiled, having heard the entire conversation._

But that had been long time ago, and things were much different now.

_! _Was Washington's main thought at the moment. He no longer had his best friends to give him advice, and their previous guidance no longer applied because, well….. No! He wasn't supposed to like her anymore! That wasn't allowed! He couldn't-

Ariana's eye lashes fluttered and she began to shift. _Okay that's good, she's waking up. _Washington thought, until she began sliding closer. _No. fuck! Not that way stupid! Aw, shit. _He gently tried to prop her back up, but instead ended up pushing her in the other direction, and she landed limply on the cushions beside him.

_Well, that works I guess. Good thing she's a heavy sleeper. _He thought gratefully, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest, where he stayed for the remainder of the movie. Luckily, no one had been paying much attention to him, although he thought he caught a brief smile from Donut.

The movie ended eventually and the Blues began to get up and leave, all except one. "Ari. Hey wake up, kiddo." Washington kneeled beside the slumbering girl, trying to shake her into consciousness, to no avail. "And, she's out cold." He muttered after a moment. He sighed and stood back up, slinging her over onto his back effortlessly.

"Thanks for the food and stuff…" Wash told the reds, feeling awkward as Donut stared at him and Ariana with an almost scary/giddy gleam in his eye. He waved halfheartedly as he began to walk with Tucker and Caboose back to blue base in silence. Caboose smiled kindly at Wash. "Mr. Washingtub, I can carry her if it's too much trouble." He looked at him with mild surprise, then declined "That's fine Caboose, she's a lot lighter than she looks."

"Are you calling me fat?" Ariana muttered groggily. "Oh good, you're awake. Now you can walk on your own." Washington replied with a smirk. "Nah, I'm still asleep. I'm good here." She smiled, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck and borrowing into his shoulder. Wash shook his head, chuckling softly.

They reached the base soon, Tucker and Caboose immediately shuffling off to their own rooms, while Washington carried Ariana to hers. He put her down softly at her door and ruffled her hair. "You know, you are really lazy." He informed. Ariana smiled sleepily and rubbed her eyes. "It's all part of my charm." She insisted, much to his amusement.

"Hey Wash." He stopped mid-step and turned back to her. Ariana fidgeted with her hands for a moment, not meeting his eyes. "So, uh, that whole six years thing… kinda ironic right?" she asked with a nervously forced laugh. Washington smiled almost sadly and bent down to place a chaste kiss on her cheek.

He pulled away and stood in front of her for a moment, biting his lip as if unsure of something. Then he nodded, his face emotionless. "Okay. Good night then." He told her before he walked to his room and closed the door behind him.

Ariana stood in her doorway, wide eyed and blushing, still and silent, once again left with more questions than answers.

**D'AWWWW! Don't they just grow up so fast? .**

**Little bit o' fluff in this chapter, don't get used to it because the next chapter is Angst! Angst! Angst! ****Smut?**** Angst! **

**The next Chapter actually shouldn't take too long since I've already written most of it in my notebook, (science is sooo boring and I needed something to do...)**

**Did you like the flash back with York and Maine? That was actually a late edition, I was just trying to imagine how young, naïve little Washinbaby learn how to act around girls and… yeah, that happened. (Should I ship York/Maine now? XD I wonder…)**

**Wash is such a snarky bitch in the first part! I had way too much fun writing it.**

**Until Next Time: Happy New Years, My Dears! (And don't forget to review!)**

** -Aria Soul**


	7. Chapter Six: Bitter Sweet

_**A/N: Time Skip, about a week or so.**_

_**For some reason I think Wash is an artist. Can this be canon now?**_

_**Also, If you would like a playlist to listen to while reading this, I made one. I made it very specially for you. Tada: .com/playlist?list=PL17AF81B307F50DFE**_

_**Oh, yeah, one other thing….**_

_**ANGST! **_

**Chapter Six: Bitter Sweet**

Life seemed so much simpler in a picture. There were no monsters hiding in the shadows, the situation was what you made it, and nothing was ever out of your control. _Unlike reality, where everything is spiraling and rampant and fucking confusing, _Washington thought, as he sprawled across his bed, sketching out a new scene in his worn out journal.

The journal had been with him since Freelancer and he'd kept it for years, drawing out his thoughts and feelings when he needed to, adding something new to his collection when words just wouldn't work. Drawing relaxed him, made him feel at peace for just a few cherished moments. The journal was more than a spiral bound, leather back book, it was the story of his life within wrinkled, dog eared pages.

Why the book had been filling up with pictures of a certain blue eyed assassin lately, he had no idea.

"Hey Wash, got a minute?" called a voice outside his door. _Speak of the devil. _He chuckled inwardly, shoving the journal between the headboard and his pillow. "Sure, come in if you're going to." He answered. The door creaked open and Ariana stepped in softly, holding something in her hand.

"I found this while I was going through some old stuff." She told him, holding out a small slip of paper with one name written on it. _His_ name, his real name. Washington reached out to take it, memories overflowing.

_Her nails digging into his back… his breath on her skin… their fingers intertwined… her eyes, filled with passion and longing, staring up at him like he was the only thing she knew._

_ But afterword as they lay in bed together, the sheets tangled around their legs, with the girl's arms wrapped around him tightly and her face buried in the crook of his neck, Washington knew something wasn't right._

_ "I'll be fine Ariana." He reassured her softly. "What if you're not?" she whimpered into his shoulder. "Delta says that implantation has a 98.7% safety rate. It'll be okay." She rolled over, her eyes staring deftly at the ceiling, "I know. I know I shouldn't worry but… what if they… change you? What do I do then?" she asked desperately. _

_ Wash was silent for a moment, before reaching over and rummaging through the bedside table and pulling out a notepad and a pen. He tore off a piece of paper and scribbled one name. "David." He folded it up and placed it in the frightened girl's hand._

_ "If something goes wrong tomorrow, I need you to promise you won't let me forget who I am." Washington gazed at the beautiful girl in front of him as she clutched the paper tightly. "I-I promise." She flung her arms around his shoulders, clinging to him firmly as Washington held her close._

_ "I love you Ariana. Nothing is going to change that. Not now, not ever."_

He smiled sadly at the memory, pretending not to miss it. "I know it was probably silly to keep it that long, but I just thought you might want it back so-" "Thank you." Washington acknowledged, "It's a good memory." He slipped the paper in his pocket, and Ariana offered a small nod, her face slightly pink.

She turned to walk away, until the corner of a book caught her eye. "What's this?" she inquired, reaching around to pick it up. "N-nothing, just an old book." He replied nervously trying to take it back from her, before she jerked it out of his arms reach. "I want to see it." She declared_. _"Hey come on! Give it back!' Wash protested, lunging for the journal as Ariana dodged out of his grasp, scampering away from him with a breathy laugh as he chased her.

She sprung onto his desk, flipping open the book and rummaging through it, her eyes growing wider with each page. "Wash… did you draw these?" she asked softly. Agent Washington stopped trying to grab the journal and stood next to the desk, his face turning red. "Yeah." He admitted. "I know they're kind of-" "Amazing." Ariana whispered, an unrecognizable shine in her eyes. "Where did you learn to draw like this?"

Washington leaned back, averting his eyes and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Rehab." He confessed quietly, "My, uh, therapist told me it would help relieve some of the trauma I was put through. Help me try to remember some of the things I had lost during the Epsilon incident." He smiled shyly, "I never actually thought it would work, but I liked it so I just sorta stuck with it."

From her perch on his desk, Ariana continued flipping through the journal, completely mesmerized. Some of the pictures, like the ones soon after the incident, were dark and somewhat misshapen, but very detailed. Others were just simple sketches, though some were rather humorous.

"Is that Agent Maine… trying to eat Doc..?" she giggled, pointing at the picture. Wash held back a smirk. "It's a long story. I was kinda of pissed that day." He admitted, with a small chuckle. He couldn't help it. He had never showed anyone his drawings, and honestly, he kind of liked the fact that Ariana was so interested in them.

Ariana turned to another page, and Washington looked down in embarrassment. It was a picture of their first kiss.

Comically enough it had been right after Wash had tripped over a gopher hole, sending both of them tumbling down the hill they were on and splashing waist deep into the lake at the bottom. Although at first he had been bit upset and humiliated, Ariana couldn't stop laughing. When he questioned her reaction, she had happily informed him that, although the day had been quite a disaster, it had been the best day ever. Of all time. And then, well….

Ariana smiled fondly at the memory, her fingers tracing the image as she leaned against the wall. The picture was almost perfect to her. She could see the water droplets sliding off their skin, their damp hair clinging to their faces as her picture form wrapped her arms around the man's neck and brought their lips together.

"Do you ever miss it?" she asked with a distant sigh.

Washington glanced up curiously, "Miss what?"

"Us." Ariana answered simply.

Washington remained silent for a few moments, trying to decide.

_Yes! Yes, of course you have! Every day since you left you've missed her more than anything! Right? _An annoying voice inside his head yelled.

_No. Shut up. No you haven't. Because you're bad for her and you know it. _The slightly more sensible voice retaliated.

Wash kept his face blank as he warred internally with himself. Finally he sighed and nodded. "Sometimes I catch myself wishing I could go back in time. Somehow just reverse everything that happened that night and… I don't know. Make things right again." He confessed softly. "Not much I can do now."

Ariana was strangely quiet for once, biting her lip as if she was trying to solve some huge conundrum. She pushed herself off the wall and started to lean toward him. "Wash I-" before she could finish her statement, the desk began to tilt forward, causing her to lose her balance and fall. Washington swiftly caught her before she could crash onto the floor.

Ariana's eyes widened and her face reddened as she realized how close she was to the man holding her. Their faces were mere inches apart, and she was sure he could hear her rapid heartbeat. Washington was surprised as well. He couldn't help but notice how soft her skin looked, or how her loose top kept sliding down her shoulder, or that her shorts barely covered her-

_Oh Goddammit. _

Washington leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers softy, breathing in the strawberry scent of her skin. Ariana gasped, but kissed him back after only a split second of hesitation. She had to admit, kissing Wash made her more lightheaded than losing 3 pints of blood, and she certainly had experience.

But then he jus_t had_ to fucking open his eyes and nearly dropped her out of shock. "S-sorry." He stuttered, steeping away "I-I shouldn't have-"

Washington never got to finish his explanation.

Because the next thing he knew, Ariana was kissing him again, and he was holding her so tightly, like he was afraid that if he let her go she would disappear, and his mind was screaming a thousand things at once but _he didn't care!_ Because at the moment, he had never _wanted_ anything so much -so purely- in his entire life.

He cupped her face in his hand, pulling her closer and licking her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She obliged, taking the opportunity to run her tongue along the roof of his mouth with a barely hidden mischievous smile, knowing that it drove him crazy- in a good way. Washington pushed her against the wall, somehow parting from Ariana just long enough for her to tug his shirt over his shoulders in the process. He tangled his hands in her hair, kissing her deeply and passionately.

_Shitshitshitfuckgodmmit! STOP IT! YOU'RE BEING STUPID! BAD WASH! STOP! NO- HEY! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?_

Washington found it too easy to ignore that stupid voice in the back of his head as Ariana ran her hands across his chest, tracing his scars softly. He had lost all sense of consequence. He couldn't remember the last time someone had touched him so gently, and it took a moment before he remembered to breathe.

Ariana whimpered as Wash grazed his teeth on her neck, her fingers tangling in his dark hair. He tugged her closer, sending them both tumbling onto the bed, Washington rolling on top of the girl and pressing his lips against hers sweetly.

His calloused hands traveled down to her waist, caressing her lovely skin. His fingers teased under her shirt, lilting across her abdomen. Ariana gasped at his touch, resting a hand on the back of his neck and desperately pulling him deeper into the kiss. He pressed against her almost possessively, bringing one arm back up to brace next to her shoulders, as the other hand ran through her hair.

He trailed kisses along her jawline and neck tenderly. Ariana sighed in bliss, her fingers brushing his skin absentmindedly as she stared up at the man she had always trusted. "David." She whispered.

Washington froze. "No." he breathed, sitting up abruptly, looking ashamed. "Stop it. Don't call me that." Ariana blinked in confusion. "Wh-what are you talking about?" she asked as he stood and paced to the other side of the room. "I can't do this. It… it isn't right, not after…"

"David, what the hell is going on?" the girl sat up, crossing her arms. "I told you not to call me that!" Washington shouted, causing Ariana to flinch away. "I'm not the same! Things are different now! It'll never work!" "I-I don't- but… _why?_"

He turned on her, his gaze scalding. "_I almost killed you, Ariana!_ Have you somehow forgotten that by any chance?" he cried, borderline hysterical.

The girl shrunk back, "I-It was an accident." She said with quiet confidence. "What if it wasn't?" Washington growled. "I wasn't right. Epsilon was losing it, and I still don't know which thoughts were mine and which were his. What If I had actually been trying to hurt you?"

Ariana stood up, trying to walk towards him calmly. "You wouldn't have done that. I know you." Wash scoffed, a dark glint in his eyes as he turned away. "You don't know me as well as you think."

She didn't back down, her gaze was unwavering. "I know you." She repeated determinedly. "You're brave and strong and loyal. You do what's right even if it's not what's best. You're a survivor and a hero and-" Her resolve crumbled and she placed a hand on his arm.

"… and I'm still in love with you. Please, Wash, please don't push me away again."

Washington froze, her words echoing inside his head. He turned toward her slightly, knowing it was a bad move. Ariana stared up at him with pleading eyes, trying to offer a shy smile that wavered slightly as her face reddened. Wash shrugged out of her grasp and clutched her shoulders, staring back at her intently. But instead of warm and affectionate his gaze was hard and frightening.

"You're wrong." He spoke forcefully. "You don't love me. You love _him._ David. Not me." "Wash-" Ariana tried to object, but was quickly silenced. "I don't know if you've noticed, but David is gone. He's dead. I'm not who I was."

"Th-that's not true!" she yelled, her voice shaking. "Stop trying to make things better! Stop pretending!" Washington's voice was rising along with his anger at her ignorance. "Do you think that it's really going to help? Things change, Ariana. _I've _changed. We're never going to get better." He leaned in, his tone dangerous.

"Do you think I can just forget about what happened that night?" His grip on her arms tightened painfully. "Please, j-just stop-" Ariana choked back what sounded like a sob, but Washington ignored her, forced to relive the same memory she was. "I wish I could forget, I really do, but I can't!" he was screaming now, losing control as the recollection consumed him.

"Every night it's the same dream over and over! And every time I see you it just causes all the pain I've worked so hard to leave behind to well back up _and I can't stop fucking remembering! _Do you have any idea how hard it is to know that you shot your best friend in cold blood? I _CAN'T_ FORGET! I JUST-"

"_Agent Washington, let go! You're hurting me!" _Ariana cried desperately, trying to wretch away from the man. Wash hands dropped to his side immediately as he stepped back in shock.

He remorsefully stared at the shaking girl in front him, noticing with a pang of guilt the bruises now forming on her arms. But he couldn't tear his gaze away from her eyes. Eyes that were threatening with tears and filled with anger and betrayal and… _fear._

She was afraid of him.

Washington looked away in shame, unable to meet her terrified stare any longer. "You should go." He choked out. Ariana blinked furiously and rubbed her arms. "Wash, please-" "Just get out of here already!" he yelled, before growing softer, his voice thick. "Please… just go." The girl nodded and quickly pushed past him.

He waited until the door had closed behind him and he could no longer hear her footsteps before he broke down. He slid down the wall and buried his face in his hands as he tried to repress the waves of despair crashing over him. The only sounds in the room were the light rainfall outside and his ragged breathing.

_I hurt her. _The words repeated in his mind over and over. _I hurt her. How could I let that happen again? And her eyes… oh god… she's scared of me. And she has every right to be scared. _He had only seen her look so fearful of him once before when… when he'd lost it during one of Epsilon's spells.

The memory was still as clear as it had been that night. Every word of their argument, every tear that rolled down the girl's face, every drop of blood that covered his hands and his clothes as he screamed that he was sorry, begging her not to leave him-

Washington punched the wall, the pain in his hand doing nothing to distract him from his regret. _Dammit! Why does she love me? _He asked himself. _Is she really that __stupid__? After everything I've done to her… why? _

His throat was burning hazardously and so were his eyes. He shook his head and stood up, pacing the room, just trying to breathe. In and out, in and out. He wasn't going to let this get to him. Yes, he had let things get too far with Ariana, and she was probably very upset, but that was okay. It was for the best. He knew she couldn't love him and he couldn't love her back.

Even if part of him really wanted to.

The light rain had turned into a thunderstorm and it raged outside as Washington paced back and forth, trying to clear his mind and calm down. This went on for over an hour, but he wasn't tired. He thought he heard a small noise near him, but he ignored it. However, he heard it again a few moments later, a small whimper, and it sounded like it was coming from the hall.

Reluctantly, Wash opened the door and peered out into the seemingly empty hallway. At first he thought his head was playing tricks on him, but then he saw the small girl hugging her legs to her chest and leaning against the wall next to his door. Her eyes were red, though there was no sign of tears on her cheeks, and she appeared to be trembling slightly.

"What are you doing here? I thought you left." _Smooth move, Washington. Really nice way to greet an emotionally distraught assassin. _He reprimanded himself. Ariana didn't glance up at him, just ducked her head down a little.

"I couldn't sleep." She admitted. "It's this damn storm. Thunder always makes me think of bombs, and bombs always make me think of…." She stopped, and started tracing little circles in the dust on the floor. "I-I just don't like being in that room during a storm. I can hear everyone in the hallways, so it reminds me that no one's dead."

Wash was silent for a moment, and although he knew it was a bad idea, he just couldn't leave the frightened girl in the hall alone. He sighed and opened the door a little wider. "Do you want to come in?" he asked. Ariana lifted her eyes wearily. "Look, we don't have to talk or anything, just wait out the storm. It's better than sitting out here listening to Tucker snore." He reasoned. She hesitated, then quietly rose to her feet and strode inside.

They sat on opposite sides of the bed, neither daring to speak. Washington noticed that the temperature had dropped considerably since it began raining, and Ariana had begun shivering. Without a word, he unceremoniously tossed the sheets over the girl, and then leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his under his head.

"You can sleep here if you want." He told her. From under the blankets, Ariana glanced at him skeptically. "Don't worry; I'll keep to this side. It just doesn't look like this storm's gonna stop anytime soon, so you might as well." She tugged the blankets away, still looking unsure, until a clap of thunder shook the base. Ariana shrieked and dived under the sheets, curling up on the mattress next to him.

Washington was reminded of when they were children. Ari was about seven and young David had stopped by the orphanage after school to check up on her. It had been raining badly that day, and when he finally found her she was clutching her stuffed panda toy and hiding under the bed.

He had finally managed to coax her out with the promise of hot chocolate, and then distracted her by making a fort out of blankets. Then Ariana had smiled up at him and proudly declared she wasn't afraid at all with the sheets protecting her. It appeared that the logic had prevailed even now.

It wasn't long before Ariana's breathing had evened out and she was sleeping peacefully. Washington was not as lucky. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind taunting him with thoughts and memories of her sleeping next to him, back when things were better.

Honestly, he missed waking up to see her smile. He missed her wearing his clothes when she was too lazy to find her own. He missed how comfortably they would talk until she was too drowsy to properly hold her head up and she would curl up in his arms and fall asleep.

He missed everything about her. But he knew he wasn't the man Ariana thought she loved. He wasn't David anymore, he was Agent Washington. Traitor. Criminal. _Murderer_. _Psychopath._ If she saw who he really was, she would never-

There was a sudden warm pressure at his side as Ariana, still fast asleep, subconsciously rolled over and nestled against him. Washington blinked in surprise at the girl, his despairs interrupted as he listened to her steady heartbeat.

_Dammit, _he didn't think she could look any smaller. With her wide eyes closed and the blankets cocooned around her, Ariana seemed so… vulnerable. He felt the instinctive need to protect her. _Not much good you would do, considering your track record. _He supposed bitterly.

He carefully tucked a stray lock of hair out of her pale face, freezing when she whimpered and wrapped her arms around his middle. _God. She is so… beautiful. _The thought whispered in his mind. _Absolutely fucking beautiful. And I'm… covered and scars and absolutely fucking insane. _

_Of all people that idiot had to fall in love with, it had to be me. _He knew she deserved someone better. Someone possibly less damaged that could love her back. Because he couldn't…could he? The question stung worse than bullets, because he didn't know.

"_Don't push me away again." _She had been pleading with him to do something impossible. Ariana was his weakness, his proverbial kryptonite, she would be his downfall. After what he did to her, he couldn't be around her without being afraid of hurting her. Washington couldn't put her through that again.

Ariana snuggled into his chest, her soft presence calming his miserable thoughts. He focused on the sound of her still beating heart, drawing comfort from his former best friend. He couldn't love her- that would only result in destruction- but tonight…

He began to pull away, then wrapped his arms around the girl and pulled her into him, holding on to her desperately.

Tonight, as much as he hated to admit it, Washington needed her. If only for the moment, Ariana could be his again, and for the moment, maybe he could just pretend to be David.

Just once again before he woke up and came to his senses.

_***commence infinite fangirl crying***_

_**Literally, I almost cried probably three times while writing this. And this was the first scene I came up with. I knew this was coming! Why do I do these things to my poor babies?**_

_**And of course, being the awful person I am, my mind instantly says:**_

_**Ariana: *puppy eyes***_

_**Wash: *sexual frustration desk flip***_

_**Me: Oh my gosh, Aria! STOP IT! YOU FILTHY WHORE! YOU'RE A TERRIBLE PERSON! **_

_**Really, I'm quite proud of this chapter, as heartbreaking as it is. Don't worry, we'll find out what exactly happened to cause Davey-boy so much turmoil soon enough, I promise. (I'm thinking chapter eight or nine)**_

_**Don't forget to review! I'm like Tinker bell, I need attention to live, and I write faster when I'm encouraged by my readers! **_

_**Good day, hope you enjoyed, etc. etc. **_

_***runs off to cry into her stuffed panda conveniently named Leonard.***_


	8. Chapter SixPointFive: Intruder

_**A/N: Dun-Dun-Dun~!**_

_**So, um, very sorry it's so short, and that it took so long. I had a lot of projects due this week so I didn't have a lot of time to work on it. Anyways, enjoy~!**_

**Chapter 6.5: Intruder**

The man stopped outside, observing the base in front of him. It was closest to where Jacobs's team was just before their communication was severed. Considering how long it took him to track it down, this seemed almost disappointing. He checked his files: just a simple simulation base. Why would she be here?

He slipped inside. The only sound was the drip of rain water as it trickled from his coat to the floor, the only light came from the occasional bolts of lightning outside the windows. He didn't need it. His eyes were trained to see perfectly in the dark.

As he turned the corner there was another sudden brightness, not lightning. The light of a… refrigerator? He stared curiously at the scene before him. It was a man, a rather large one at that, dressed in royal blue footie pajamas with little ducks on them. His face was hidden by the door of the fridge he was rummaging through.

The intruder was hesitant. Were he to attack, it could alarm the others. Were he to attempt to sneak by, the one in PJs could see him and, although he was rather formidable in battle, the brute would surely overpower him if he caught him by surprise. That left him with only one option.

Three seconds later he stepped over the blue clad man, who was now unconscious and lying in a pool of pungent sticky liquid.

He made his way silently through the hall, searching all the rooms. He was slightly startled by the snores of a dark skinned man, but quickly realized there was no threat. Besides, he didn't need to leave too much damage. Yet.

He was about to give up, when he came to the last unchecked door. It was left slightly open, and he could hear quiet breathing inside. He pushed it the rest of the way open, and immediately recognized his objective. There she was, her angelic face peaceful as she slept, her delicate form curled against-

_No. _It couldn't be. He was _dead_. The man was sure of it. He had informed Ariana of his death. Watched her normally composed face shatter into remorse. Relished in listening to her sobs as he reminded her of why she should be glad that the damned psychopath was gone.

And now Agent Washington's arms were wrapped around _his _plaything. _His Ariana._

Fury burned through the man's veins. _What the hell is she doing? _His mind screamed. _Does she think she has any right to leave me? Did the little whore think she could get away with…__**this**__? Sleeping with that disgusting freak! Ariana belongs to __**me**__ and me alone! _His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails were beginning to dig into his palms.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He looked with a mixture of loathing and longing at the girl again, watched as her beautiful form rose and fell with every soft breath, while she smiled and snuggled against the man he hated more than anything in the universe.

She was going to pay for this. Soon, she would realize what a mistake she had made. She would be his again, whether she wanted to or not. Even if it meant he had to kill that bat-shit crazy Freelancer Washington.

No.

_Especially_ if it meant he had to kill Washington.

McAlister smiled as he pulled the knife from underneath his cloak. Yes, he was going to make Ariana regret putting him through all the trouble she had. And he was going to enjoy every minute of her screams.

_**As always, reviews are very much appreciated. **_


	9. Chapter Seven: Nightmares

**A/N: Sorry if this took a while, I've been working on a few other projects lately so….**

**Chapter Seven: Nightmares**

Ariana felt content when she awoke the next morning. The night had not been plagued with nightmares; in fact, she'd had the nicest dream. With a happy sigh she blinked open her eyes, instantly turning a deep shade of red as she realized the position she was in. The small girl was curled next to a sleeping, and very shirtless, Agent Washington. The blush deepened as she recalled the events of the night before.

_God dammit. I must have rolled over in my sleep. _She thought ruefully. Ariana attempted to move away before he could wake up, but her plan was quickly foiled, as Washington had his large muscular arms locked tightly around her. She tried to squirm out of his grasp for several more minutes, before giving up and sinking back into the mattress.

Ariana let out a frustrated sigh as she silently glared at the completely unaware face of her "captor". Much to her chagrin though, she felt herself unable to resist smiling. She was strangely at peace next to him. Her mind, normally so cluttered with ideas, was quieted as she listened to the familiar pattern of his breathing. Her vision swam with memories of sweet good morning kisses and greetings.

With a slight smile she carefully reached up to smooth out his messy dark hair, her slim fingers trailing across a thin scar on his cheek. At her touch, Washington let out a cross between a moan and a whimper and pulled her nearer. Ariana stifled a gasp. She was so _close _to him, so why did he still feel so distant?

He looked different without a scowl or condescending smirk. Ariana wished he would smile more often. Not just a small half smile when he proved himself right, a full out grin accompanied by his carefree laughter that she missed so much. A smile that made his eyes light up and took her breath away. Now the dear face she once knew was riddled with the scars of a warrior and the sleep deprived lines of a haunted man.

Maybe Wash was right. Maybe he had changed. Maybe they had both changed too much and it was just too difficult. But _why? _Why did it have to be that way? She missed him. She _loved_ him. Why didn't he believe her?

Ariana leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. _I'm still here, Wash._ She wanted to tell him. _I'm okay with picking up the broken pieces. Let me in. _But she stayed silent as she rested back against his arms. So much had happened. They hadn't seen each other in so long; she even thought he was dead a just few months ago.

Now they were sleeping together once again, though not in the same way. She wasn't waking up to sweet kisses and shy smiles anymore, just empty hopes and remnants of forgotten dreams. "Why are we even here?" She wondered aloud.

"Because we're insane and we don't realize when something is bad for us." Washington's rough voice answered simply. Ariana jumped, well, as much as she could as she was being restrained, then rolled her eyes with a slight smile. "About time you woke up." She complained halfheartedly.

"Well, good morning to you too." Washington countered, glancing out the window. "I guess you should probably leave now, right?" he started to sit up, but Ariana clung to him desperately, burying her face into his chest. He heaved a sigh, shaking his head. "Ariana, I can't-" "Shut up. You're warm." She protested as she curled closer.

Washington chuckled softly, not moving closer but not moving away either. One arm was still draped over her and she welcomed the comfort. _Can I just stay here? _She asked herself. _Can we just forget everything and stay like this always?_

"Wash! Wash help!" Tucker screamed from the hall. _I guess not. _Washington groaned and rolled away from her, tugging a shirt over his head as he went. He looked over his shoulder at Ariana's hopeful face and frowned. "Just remember, this doesn't change anything." He insisted as he left.

Ariana sighed and leaned back. _Why doesn't he understand? _She was about to call after him, but he had already gone and something at the corner of the bed had caught her eye. She reached over to pick it up, cradling it in her hands.

"What's this doing here?" she mumbled, turning over her stuffed panda toy she'd had since she was a child. She didn't understand how it could have gotten to Washington's room when she had accidently left it behind while running from-

Suddenly the room felt very cold and Ariana started shaking and somehow, _somehow,_ she just knew there was a monster in the closet.

Washington strode briskly into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. "Tucker, what did you do?" he asked calmly. The dark skinned man was kneeled next to an unconscious Caboose, who had a huge red mark on his head and- _why was there orange juice everywhere? _"I just found him here!" Tucker insisted. "He was attacked or something and- dude. Why do you smell like strawberries?"

Wash ignored the question as their situation dawned on him. Someone had gotten into their base, attacked one of their soldiers, and could still possibly be inside. "Okay, I think he's just unconscious, he should be fine after the head ache goes away, just clean him up." Wash commanded, backing up as Tucker attempted to pull the large man out of the puddle orange juice that had been spilled.

That's when they heard Ariana scream.

Washington immediately raced toward the sound, Tucker dragging Caboose not far behind. His heart was beating out of his chest and his breath was uneven. It felt like forever before he entered his room, where he realized that the terror he had faced just seconds ago was nothing compared to what seized him next.

Ariana was being held down by a tall man whose face was concealed by shadows.

"McAlister, get the hell away from her." Washington growled, reaching for his gun on his side before realizing that it wasn't there. The man smiled up at him innocently. "And so good to see you too Agent Washington." The assassin greeted, "I assume that you and my little pet here have gotten very well reacquainted lately."

A long sharp knife traced around Ariana's neck, not pressed down deep enough to draw blood, but enough to get the message across. He was in charge. McAlister pulled the shaking girl to her feet by her hair, causing her to let out a small whimper of pain. Washington flinched, seeing the panic in her shining eyes.

"You already know what I want, don't you Agent Washington?" McAlister smiled, twirling the knife in his hands. "What makes you think I'll let you have her?" Wash asked testily. "Because if I can't have her, you can't either." He clarified, tugging Ariana's head back so that she had to stand on her toes to keep from cutting herself on the knife.

"Now, I suggest you get out of the way before my hand slips. Wouldn't want to get any blood on the floor, would we?" Washington reluctantly stepped out of the way, letting them pass. What could he do? He had no weapons, no way to stop them, and McAlister would kill the girl if he took a wrong step.

McAlister never turned his back on the agent, keeping a tight grip on his captive. Ariana writhed as he dragged her further from safety, calling out desperately. "David! Don't-don't let him-" But when Washington tried to approach her McAlister shook his head and lifted the knife to cut across her cheek. Wash was forced to back down, everything in him screaming at him to launch himself at McAlister and rescue the small girl, but knowing that he couldn't and _it tore him apart._

"It's been fun, but I have some catching up to do with my little pet here." McAlister smiled and began backing away. Then a gallon of orange juice descended on his head, causing him to loosen his grip on the girl. Ariana scrambled just out of his reach as Caboose yelled, "Bad man! You made me spill my orange juice!"

That's when all hell broke loose.

McAlister made a desperate attempt to recapture his prize, grazing her arm as she dodged out of the way. Tucker tossed Washington his pistol and without missing a beat he began firing. McAlister rolled out of the way and ran toward an exit that led him to the top of the base, Washington and the blues not far behind him.

Wash aimed a couple of shots at the assassin as Ariana dived into her room, searching for weapons. They cornered him at the top of the base and McAlister lashed out, knocking the gun from Washington's grip and swinging his knife to cut across his neck. Wash pushed him off before the knife could come in contact with his throat, causing him to stumble back into Tucker.

McAlister whipped around and round-house kicked the teal soldier, sending him face first into the ground. Caboose ran to help Tucker and yelled at the assassin "Stop! You are a mean man! You are worse than Church's lady friend!" The larger man picked up McAlister by his coat, but he slammed his fist against Caboose's jaw. Caboose dropped him and shrunk back whimpering "Owie…"

Once again, McAlister ran at Washington in a rage, lifting his knife. By this time Wash had recovered and was prepared for the attack, deflecting it easily. McAlister's eyes burned with vengeance as he mercilessly attacked the freelancer again and again. He tried to block it every time, but he was overpowered and fell to the ground. The assassin used his foot to flip the agent's discarded weapon into his own hands and smiled maliciously.

"I'm afraid your time is up phsyco. Don't worry; I'll take good care of Ariana, just as I always have." He taunted, aiming the gun at his head. "Good bye, Agent Wa-"

McAlister's words were cut off as a small blonde girl launched herself at him, knocking the weapons from his hands and backing him toward a wall. Ariana stared up at the man who had tortured her for so many years. McAlister just smiled as she poised her knife underneath his chin.

"So, after all I've done for you, this is how you repay me?" he chided. Ariana scowled at him, fury burning in her eyes. "I owe you _nothing_. Our deal is over." She hissed.

"Oh yes, our little deal." He ridiculed. "Where you sold yourself to me in order to keep your little Freelancer friend here safe." He glanced over at Agent Washington, who was now struggling to get up. "Even after he almost killed you and left you all alone." Ariana's grip on her knife tightened until her knuckles turned white. "You can imagine how disappointed I am seeing you two together now. I thought you knew better."

"Shut up. You'll be dead in seconds anyways." She snapped. McAlister kept that calm smile plastered on his face, raising his hands in mock surrender. "What, do you honestly think it's going to be okay now? Do you think he still loves you?" He sneered as doubt flashed briefly in her eyes, his tone growing softer. "Listen sweetheart, he'll only hurt you again, just like he always has. You'll never be able to change that."

"_Shut up!" _Ariana screeched, diving toward him wrathfully. McAlister grinned and then…

Disappeared.

Ariana's knife scraped against metal merely a second after the assassin activated his teleporting device that likely lead back to his transport.

Washington saw her knees weakening and dashed over to catch her before she could crumble in on herself. She stared up at him with scared, pleading eyes as her shaking hands clutched his shirt. "Get them out of here Wash." She whispered as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist to secure her. "I-I don't want them to see."

He knew that look, though he'd only seen it a few times before. The verge of breaking.

Wash turned toward the blues. "Tucker, radio the Reds. We need to warn them." He vanished into the base for a moment while Wash pulled up the small girl to lead her back to his room, before reappearing a moment later looking disgruntled.

"He cut the wires, man. No luck."

"Then walk over to tell them." The agent ordered. "And take Caboose with you."

"Shouldn't someone stay behind and guard or something?"

"No. Just leave. _Now_." With a sideways glance at Ariana, he could tell she was barely holding herself together.

Not checking to make sure they had obeyed him, Washington eased her into his room and slammed the door behind him.

He only hoped that they were gone before the screaming started.

After fifteen minutes of standing in the corner while Ariana took out her frustrations on the unfortunate appliances in his room, Wash tried to bring her back. "Just calm down for a minute." He appeased as he stepped over the over-turned chair, scattered pens, and shattered lamp to reach her. "Let's just try to figure something out."

Ariana ignored him, now resorted to only emitting furious shrieks when tossing another device.

There went his clock.

Wash sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Ariana, please. Stop and talk to me." She turned away from him, walking half way to the door before she started trembling.

"Why did you leave?" she whispered.

Well, that wasn't what he expected. Wash tried to form a response, but remained silent, only able to stare at her. He wordlessly begged for her to say something else, ask him anything instead of _that._

"Why did you leave?" Ariana yelled once again, spinning toward him in a burst of fury. Angry tears burned in her eyes. "I was counting on you! I tried to find you, but you always turned me away! Even when I was in the hospital, you didn't visit! I kept waiting for you to walk in, talk to me, tell me it was okay, just give me _one goddamn explanation, _but_ you never came! _Why did you leave me?"

"Because you deserve better than some phsyco." Washington's voice was raw, his sad eyes cast down. "You deserve better than me."

Ariana sighed and her shoulders dropped, she looked up at him through her lashes pleadingly. "I didn't want better. Just you." She confessed softly as she took a step toward him. "I need you, Wash. Right now, I need you more than anything." Tentatively, she reached up to wrap her arms around his middle. "Please."

Washington moved one hand to her back, drawing her closer. "I'm sorry." It was all he could say, "I'm so sorry." He held her tightly, placing a brief kiss to her cheek.

"I'm scared." Ariana confessed to the creases in his T-shirt. "Goddammit, I've never been so scared." Wash could feel her shaking, and a wave of white hot fury passed through him. "What did he do to you?" he implored, his face buried in her hair.

"W-we had a deal." She spoke quietly, as if afraid that her words would summon the assassin. "He was going to kill you, Wash. I-I had to. I had to do what he said." Her face was flushed and she had to take large gulps of air to keep calm. "Whether that meant killing or… other things." Washington's grip tightened around her shoulders, the words setting in. When he spoke, his voice was a low growl, fueled by horror and wrath.

"Ariana, did he-" "No." she assured him, already guessing what he had. "No, it never got that far. But…" She paused for a moment, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. "He tried once. I think- I think I was drunk. I don't remember much."

Ariana clung to him, sobs shaking her tiny frame. "I don't want to go back." She pleaded. "I don't want to let him hurt me again." Washington wrapped his arms around the girl protectively.

"It's okay." He whispered as he traced calming patterns into her back. "I'll take care of you. I promise." Ariana shook her head against his chest, her eyes gazing up at him despondently.

"Don't make me promises, David. You've never been good at keeping them."

_**It's done! I did it! I'm not happy with it, but I'm done!**_

_**So… it was going to be longer, but I switched some stuff up, got a major case of writers block, and decided to save that scene for the next chapter.**_

_**Less than five chapters until the end, guys!**_

_**Anyways… sorry. I know that was a bad place to leave you hanging. Stuff came up.**_

_**In other news, if anyone actually cares, I'm going to a recording studio tomorrow! Let's hope I don't fuck it up!**_

_**Reviews would be nice, if you could! Thankies until next time!**_


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